Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1900 — THE POLITICAL POT. [ARTICLE]

THE POLITICAL POT.

MOW ITS BUBBLINGS ARE VIEWED 1 FROM WASHINGTON. It la Said that Postal Director Rath* bone la to Make a “Roar” that Will Result in a Stampede of Administration Pets. Washington correspondence: Postal Director Rathbone has issued his ultimatum from Cuba to the administration. It came in the form of a private letter to First Assistant Postmaster General Perry S. Heath, who got him his job. In it Rathbone declared that he did not propose to be made a scapegoat, and that if he were attacked by order of the administration somebody would suffer. Who that “somebody” is will not be hard to discover. Hanna is the man. Rathbone first came into political notoriety in Indiana as one of the principal “blocks of five” manipulators. Since that malodorous campaign he attracted little attention until he came to the front to manipulate the Ohio Legislature and secure Hanna’s election to the Senate. That notorious event still reeks in the nostrils of decent people. Of course Rathbone had to be given a job. Strange to say, the shrewd Col. William Dick advised against putting Rathbone in thg responsible position of Postal Director of Cuba. Dick argued that knew too much of the Inside history of Republican management, and thus armed could not be brought to account for any maladministration of office. But First Assistant Postmaster General Heath wanted just those peculiar qualities which Rathbone possessed and insisted on the appointment. lle carried his point and Jubilated much at his seeming victory over Dick. But now the victory rests with Dick, who is thus made the principal man, next to Hanna, in the coming campaign, while Heath is to be shelved at the first opportunity. It is well understood that Hanna is to be held somewhat in the background of the Republican campaign. His unpleasant personality is too much an offense to his own party to make it advisable to expose him to view. Besides, his methods savor too much of brute force, and some other quality will be necessary to bring McKinley anywhere near an election. It is probable that Col. Dick will be the brains of the Republican campaign. There will be plenty of money, but as a prominent Republican leader remarked, “it all depends on the drift. If the drift is against us no amount of money can win.” The drift is against the Republicans, and that means Republican defeat. t The wisdom of the late date set for iheDeniocratic.cou.ventlon now becomes apparent. Tlie Republicans have to declare themselves first and have piteously floundered around in the last days of Congress with schemes to head off and steal the Democratic thunder. With proposed anti-trust amendments to the Constitution, which will never become a part of that instrument, and antitrust bills which will never become laws, they intend to go before the country as the people’s champions against the trusts. The trust magnates laugh cheerily and think it a great joke. One of their leaders who came to Washington to see the circus at the Capitol said he could take all of the proposed Republican legislation down into Wall street and secure for It the cordial indorsement and signature of every trust within twenty-four hours. What the trusts think about it can be read in the fact that every one of them will contribute to the Republican campaign fund. What the country wants to see is some legislation which the trusts don’t want, but it will not see it until Bryan is in the White House, with a Congress Democratic in both branches to support his administration. Now comes the open assertion that Ferdinand W. Peck and his subordinates have succeeded in disbursing something like SBOO,OOO at the Paris Exposition, with nothing to show for it but an expensive salary list and a ramshackle and unsightly building. American exhibitors are complaining that they are being practically blackmailed anywhere from S3OO to SI,OOO apiece for the privilege of exhibiting, notwithstanding that it was the purpose of the Congressional appropriation to prevent any such extortion.

Hunting for Republicans. Mr. Hanna has ageuts scouting through the country looking for founders of the Republican party. All such worthy persons who are fouutl and who are ptill members of the party’ will be Invited to attend the Philadelphia convention as guests of the National Committee. Transportation will be furnished them fret 1 , and all of their expenses, will be paid out of the.campaign fund. It Is said that Mr. Hanna's scouts have reported the discovery of twelve of the party founders, two of whom are now Democrats. As the term, “worthy persons,” does not fit these two, of course they will not be Invited to Philadelphia. One-of the founders—or at least he voted the first ticket ever nominated by the Republican party—is the Hon. Henry M. Teller, of Colorado. Mr. Hanna bas extended no invitation to this gentleman to be the guest of the National Committee at Philadelphia. Senator Teller was his own guest at St. Ixnils four years ago when Mr. Hanna founded himself, and Ills Itehavlor there was not such as to commend him to the Hnnnaites. The. Coloradan bns since then assisted In the establishment of a new party—one, he says, that more nearly accords with the Republican party as he knew It nt Its birth, and as it remained until the Hannaltes took possession of it This

new organization is the Free Silver Republican party. Senator Teller will attend the convention of this party at Kansas City on the Fourth of July, and will there tell what he knew about the original Republican party. The founders who will be the guests of Mr. Hanna are to be starred as one of the principal attractions at Philadelphia isl June. Moat of them are old gentlemen who for a long time have been lagging superfluous on the stage, but that they will arouse curiosity at Philad»lphla there can be no doubt. Some of them may grow a little too garrulous to suit the purposes of the occasion, and if any of them should cut loose and talk about things as Senator Teller and some other founders talk Mr. Hanna, it is believed, would feel called upon to expose them as “ringers."—Washington Evening Times. Labor Conditions Unsatisfactory. No matter how the Republican press may try to disguise the situation, the fact remains that the condition of labor In this country is far from satisfactory, generally speaking, and affords small basis for encouragement. The press of the opposition keep reiterating that the country is prosperous, and not only that, but is enjoying a high degree of prosperity. But If thjs is the case, why these strikes, boycotts, lockouts, etc.? Perhaps there is prosperity and labor is emfeavbrlng to obtain a small portion of It, but at this present writing there are no indications that it is receiving what it should receive according to the predictions of Mr. McKinley and the benevolent trusts. There never was a nation that has increased in its Industrial achievements to such a glganitc extent as has the United States. Such an increase should have attached to it the element of prosperity as a necessary adjunct. But labor is not rising up to the level of this

wonderful prosperity, and its unrest is caused by its struggle to break through the restraining crust. This cryst is nothing more or less thau discrimination—discrimination that favors the “aggregation of capital” at the expense of the employe. It is this discrimination that makes the Republican party so strong financially, and renders it an easy matter to raise huge corruption funds. It is tliis discrimination that the Democratic party is striving to break down, and which it will break down if It gets into power.—Oshkosh Times.

Making Cabinet*. Republican editors are now engaged in tlie pleasant occupation of making cabinets for Bryan, says tlie Chicago Democrat. Of course, Bryan has not yet been nominated for President, much less elected, but Republicans fear both contingencies and are trying to create a bogy out of an imaginary cabinet which they urge Bryan would select. This is an old trick long ago exhausted of any effect ou the public, and this cabinet-building ou the part of Republican editors can only result in a waste of time and an exposition of the makers’ contempt for the Intelligence of the public. Discussing this question, the New York Mall and Express names Senator Allen of Nebraska ns Bryan’s -choice for Secretary of State. Suppose that Allen should be selected. He couldn’t do worse than John Hny has done. In all probability he would do much better. Certainly Allen would never surrender American rights to Great Britain as Hay has done. He would not advise the construction of the Nicaragua canal for the special benefit of Europe, as has the present Anglomaniac who masquerades as an American Secretary of State. Apropos of this, the Pittsburg Post well sayst “There would be none of the weakness of McKinley In Bryan's selection of a cabinet. No public mau of our day lias a better knowledge of the leadi ers of American political thought than Bryan. For eight years his life has been among them, and he bas In all that time been brought In close contact not only with the masses of the people os no other American statesman has

been, but he has learned to know ana weigh the capacity and Integrity of political leaders, who will naturally go into the of a new President.” ■But, after all, the Republican editors are complimenting Bryan by their attempts to make a cabinet for him. Thia Is the best evidence that the Republican editors fear Bryan’s success at the polls next November, and are endeavoring to frighten the people by horrible forecasts as to the kind of a cabinet he would choose. Afraid of Its Record. The Republican party has ample reason to be afraid of its record. How to cover up the rascality of Republican rule Is the great question which bothers the politicians under the leadership of Mark Hanna. Of course, the platform which will be adopted by the Republican national convention at Philadelphia will “point with pride” to the achievements of McKinley, and will glow with promises of great and good things to be done during the next four years. But, unfortunately, the people have long memories. They recall the promises made in the Republican platform promulgated in 4896 at St. Louis. They also remember very distinctly how those promises have been broken and disregarded. It will be an easy matter for Mark Hanna to order the ready writers under his command to prepare platform planks expressing opposition to trusts and quoting hypocritical cant about accepting the behests of Providence, but none of these things can obscure or destroy facts. It is one thing to talk and to make promises, and it is quite another thing to face an evil record and to explain away the scandals of bad government. - , How can the Republican party get away from the disgrace attached to the embalmed beef furnished troops in

the field? What excuse can be urged for the taxation without representation Inflicted on Porto Rico? Will the Coeur d’Alene outrages on miners be clared inventions of the enemy? If not, how can they be explained away? And then the gigantic postotfice steal in Cuba. What can be done with that? Besides, there is the Philippine war, useless, costly and death-dealing, to say nothing of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty turning over the Isthmian canal to England. Facts are hard tilings to meet, ami platform buncombe will not have the effect of making the people forget the facts.

Hnnna’n Blundering Speech. Senator Hanna made his second great speech recently, and.the administration organs pronounce it most extraordinary. He was defending the armor plate contractors and the Times-Herald declares that his keen wit routed the star debaters of the Senate. A careful perusal of the speech of the mighty statesman develops the fact that his keen wit consisted In reiterating the assertion that all bids except that of tiie highest and preferred bidder were “mere bluffs.” This coming from tlie potential professional "business man,” is assumed to have crushed all opposition. Tills style of praise calls to mind the adulation that sycophants showered upon Nero, who as a bright debater and ready statesman made all Rome laugh. It should be added that when the office holders In Rome laughed nt Nero they had to go down cellar or up an alley lest he might lop off their heads. Same thing here.—Bloomington Bulletin. The Flaw in Danner. If the McKinley officials keep on utilizing the shade of the flag to exploit their villainous schemes Iu our "outlying dependencies,’* the probability Is that the flag will have to bo hauled down to keep It from spoiling.— National Democrat. Worrying Bryan. The G. O. P. organs are fond of saying that Bryan Is being "worried.” The very statement is proof that he Is not worried, for no man attempts to worry another man unless he himself Is worrying.