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The Commoner
12
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 23.
WTwiffr
Silonco as a Flno Art
Judgo Alton B. Parker is reported
to havo mado the following remarks
concerning tlio pernicious curiosity of
newspaper men: "I cannot for tlio life
of me understand why all these nows
papors keep sending thoir roportors
- after mo continually, whon thoy know
that I will havo nothing to say to
thorn upon any of those public ques
tions. Personally, I want to treat
ihnm nil niirfnni!Hlv nntl in a friend
ly way, but thoy want something
Trinrn -wliifili T cannot ElVO."
For our own part, wo own that wo
are astonished by Judgo Parker's as
tonishmont. This is tlio case of a man
who "stands by consenting," while
his candidature for the highest oflice
In the land is urged by politicians of
high and low dogreo. Now York will
sond a delegation instructed In his be
half, but the so-called platform built
by David Bennett Hill is a patchwork
of platitudes which mean all things
to all men. The trimmers of every
stato are playing the same gamo.
What could bo moro natural, then,
than that the newspapers should seek
to wring tlio socret from this Sphinx?
Tlio whole episode serves to mark
the depths to which American politics
havo fallen. Is it to bo imagined that
millions of voters will blindly support
a man of whoso views thoy know ab
solutely nothing? Perhaps so; but we
should rather assumo that the masses
will demand tho knowledge which is
now refused In so high and mighty a
fashion. Tho ermine cannot bo used
to conceal what everybody has a right
to know.
Tho simple truth is that this prac
tice of silence as a fine art stands for
nothing moro respectable than a de
siro to win at any cost. It is impos
sible that Judgo Parker has no opin
ions about the great problems of the
rhour. Ho must bo for tho trusts, or
against them; ho must favor, or op
pose, tho dangerous tendencies which
go by tho name of imperialism; he
,must bollovo, or dlsbollove, in tho
T principles of whlto supremacy ; ho
must desire that either the govern
ment or tho banks control tho paper
currency of the nation. Nobody but a
deaf muto could bo neutral in such a
crisis as this.
Wo havo no objection to Judge
Parker per so. On tho contrary, wo
aro-ontirely willing to accept any can
didate who can reunite tho hostile fdc-
tlons, and thus avert tho calamity
which another four years of llooso-
-velt would imply. But such irenics
havo thoir well defined bounds. Tho
domocracy could survive a decade of
banishment to tho cold shades of op
position, but would be undone by a
success synonymous with dishonor.
And, after all, such methods are tho
poorest kind of strategy. To nomi-
nato a man in an iron mask is one
thing, to elect hira is quite another.
It is inorediblo that thb south will fall
in with this- program of logerdemaln,
for this section of our common coun
try has always been renowned tor its
frankness and courage. The dough-
, faco has always been held in con
tempt among us. Shall tho glorious
record bo marred for tho sako of a
jurist who cannot understand the leg
itimate curiosity of his follow-citizens.
Tho question would havo answered it
self in other years, and should do so
today. Let there bo an end of Jugglery.
Wo aro entitled to know something
definite as to the personality and po
litical doctrine of the man wo aro
asKcd to support. Parliamentary gov
ernment is possible only on tho hy
pothesis that there shall bo two great
parties in tho stato, and that their
creeds shall bo clear as tho noon-day
sun. Tho lust of office is a strong
motive, but is by no means the strong
est. The averago man is an altruist in
his heart of hearts, and will never fol
low a trlmmor into the Serbonian bog
where self-seeking politicians havo
floundered in all ages. Judgo Parker
should speak quickly and clearly, or
forever hold his peace. New Orleans
Times-Democrat.
"Incurablt" Stomach Troubb
Cured With Flvp Bottles or Drnko's Pal
metto Wlno, Coating 83.75.
Mrs. B. W. Smith, Mnloy. Iowa, says: Three
doses of Drake's Palmetto Wino cava mo tho ilrst
relief from two years of constant stomach dis
tress. Flvo 75 cent bottles havo cured mo. Tho
best doctors and largoly advertised medicines
utterly failed to civo me any relief. I can now
eat any wholesomo food and havo gained twenty
pounds weiitht in three months. Our drucirist
sold nino bottles of Drake's Palmetto Wine ono
day to my friends who know what it has done
muJrnn recoranQnJlnir ,tt0 n11 who suffer.
ntt,1?iF!f,?l'la Company. Drnko Building.
Chicago. 111.. wlU send a trial bottle ot Drakos
Palmetto Wine free and prepaid to any ono who
suffers with stomach troublo or constipation
Ono small doso a day gives prompt re Hot and
cures to stay cured.
Anont Parlor's Silence.
Justice Alton B. Parker has taken
what some people regard as "high
ground," with relation to tho presi
dential office. Personally he makes
no statement for publication, but
spokesmen for him say ho considers it
improper for a member of the judic
iary to take any active part In poli
tics, bo interviewed, or write for pub
lication opinions on political ques
tions. There was a time, before tho day of
party politics in this country, when
such an attitude as this was proper
and reasonable. That was the time,
when, as the constitution-makers in
tended, a number of eminently wise
and patriotic persons in each state,
known as presidential electors, exer
cised the privilege of personal choice
in voting for a president. But there
has been a great revolution in Ameri
can politics since that early period.
The president is no longer chosen for
personal qualities merely, but chiefly
as the representative of party views
and tendencies, or as tho individual
exponent of certain opinions or poli
cies which ho is expected to further
if elected.
For this reason a candidate for the
presidency may no longer strike a
judicial pose and refuse to say what he
thinks about public questions. The
public has the right to know his views
and what policies he will advance or
follow if placed at the head of the
government. Any party would be ex
ceedingly weak should it nominate a
man without knowing how he stood
on issues of the day. The man is moro
important than the platform, for to a
large extent the man is the platform.
A political chameleon, who vvlll take
his color from any platform party
managers may happen to think will
catch the most votes, is not the sort
of man people want for president.
If it be inconsistent with 3udiclal
dignity for Parker to make his views
on public questions known at this
time, he can escape all embanassment
by resigning from the bench. He
seems to find, by the way, no Incon
sistency in running tor a political
nomination while wearing the ermine.
And it is said he revised and scrutin
ized the platform of the New York
democracy before it was formally
adopted at Albany.
The secret of this Sphinx of Esopus
is probably nothing more profound
than a desire to catch votes and profit
by party and public ignorance of his
views. But what Parker thinks, or is
willing to stand for, may be leadily
enough guessed, m view of tho men
and the interests that are working to
secure him the democratic nomina
tion. SacramentpBee.
Retribution.
In 1896 tho democrats and populists
in Wisconsin entered into a "fusion"
agreement, making the tickets of both
parties identical. At tho following ses
sion of tho legislature tho republican
leaders thought it would be "smart
politics" to enact a law that the name
of no candidate should appear more
than once upon the official ballot. This
law Was (leslened rn nrmmnf fi. ,i.
ocrats and populists "fusing" in sub-
sequent elections. It sought to accom
plish by indirection that which could
not be accomplished directly, as an
act forbidding a fusion of two or more
political organizations would bo in
valid.
Tho republicans of "Wisconsin are
now in a position whore the law enact
ed "to prevent tho democrats and pop
ulists tfrom "fusing" has returned to
plaguff its authors. Two republican
tickets have been nominated, includ
ing identical electors, both claiming
to be tho regularly nominated ticket
of the republican party. Tho courts
will be called upon to determine which
ticket is "regular" ana which ticket
must be placed on tho official ballot
under tho head of "Individual nomi
nations." As both republican conven
tions nominated tho same candidates
for electors to avoid a division of the
republican vote between two opposing
sets of republican electoral candidates
the electoral tlcuet can appear hut
once upon the official ballot. It will
make no difference which ticket shall
be recognized as "regular," tho other
ticket will be unable to place the
names of its candidates for electors
upon the official ballot.
In tho very nature of things, tho re
publican candidates for electors will
not poll the full number of votes given
to both republican tickets. The sup
porters of both tickets will voto a
straight ticket. So tense is tho feel
ing between the factions that there
will be little "scratching." In the
confusion of voting, large numbers of
voters, especially the venal voters that
in presidential campaigns respond to
the "argument" of the republican fat
fryer, will hardly Tote tho "individual
nominations" "straight and then
vote for the electors on the 'regular"
ticket. There are thousands of voters
that lose their wits when they under
take to vote other than a "straight"
ticket.
The mills of tho gods grind slow,
but they grind exceeding small. Mil
waukee Daily News.
A Deserved Compliment.
Hon. Edgar Howara in nis paper,
the Columbus (Neb.) Telegram, pays a
deserved compliment to Mr. Richard
L. Metcalfe, editor of the Omaha
World-Herald:
The world has had many uncrowned
kings men who wcro larger and bet
tor by rqason of their labors in behalf
of principles than any monarch on
the throne. Parnell needed no crown
to make him dearer to 'the hearts of
the Irish people. A crown would have
detracted from the glory of Kossuth
or Garibaldi. All these were Indeed
more than monarchs among their fel
lows, because they were rich in that
thing which neither money nor power
can buy the voluntary love of the
people whom they &crved so well.
There is an uncrowned democratic
king in Nebraska. Richard L. Met
calfe Is dearer to the democratic
masses In this state than any other
save Bryan alone. He has never held
a public office, although for years his
party has stood ready to send him to
congress or to any other pleasant port
to which he might desire to journey
And yet he holds higher and nobler
place among democrats than could be
attained by the giving of votes. He
has been elevated to that place by his
party fellows who behold in him one
who has been brave to hide his own
magnificent personality in order that
ho might better advance his princiDleq
AH hail to Met, Nebraska's uiSSSnS
democratic king! Lona live the king!
The Other Lawlessness
It certainly seems that Adiutnnf
General Bell of Colorado reauires a lit
tle good advice, either as to what he is
doing or as to what he is saying abou!
it. There has been cause fo fooldnc
with grave doubt on various thing!
But the adjutant gen Tal' s ported
words state an action abiuwhSh
thoro can bo no doubt. If he is cor
rectly reported ho is. lawless and
tyrannical.
The forcing- of civil Officials to write
their resignations with nooses dan
gl'Hb before them and the deportation
of union men on tho simple edict of
military officials that they are "agi
tators" are ban enough. But whon
the adjutant general himself declares
that he has ordered shut down "the
only mine In the district employing
uniqn labor" the purpose of the mili
tary rule does not seem o be within
dispute. Martial law is not keeping
order and furnishing he force to ar
rest lawbreakers for trial by the
courts. It Is employing its power to
drive out the -unions, even carrying it
the length of denying: the right of em
ployers to hire union men if thoy
wish.
This is lawlessness as clearly as the
crimes of the strikers or their sym
pathizers. It is not as murderous, but
in ono sense it is worse. The public
official who brealcs down the law and
substitutes for it a rule of arbitrary
tyranny is a more dangerous offender
thai, the lurking and obscure criminal.,
Pittsburg Dispatch.
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