Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1901 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

> OVER THE SUMMIT. fi ' 'I . ILI,-: 1 *rt I 11.• Yoti have heard a,trjiln putting and pulling and< tugging ayag tp yiakq a grade, aiu| then you, pave noticed how easily it goes down over the other side after it pas reached-Mie summit. The engineer may have td put sahd o’tf the rails—“fcite'ei* sand,”-lie callh the wheels may slip till the sumtnlt Is reached, but after that the ’engineer Shuts off nearly Hllnteam and lets Ids train glide easily : and listlessly down the grade. It is getting te the aumipit .tliati causes all the , grief, Sojnietliues eyen the train has to s bq qud one-half taken up at a tjme. , The Democratic party has beenjiavtng a decidedly up-hill business ot tlie last four or live yearA. It has been all up grade wotk And ho sAnd in tIW sand box. It lias brt?n all working-for the Auuiniit, yet it Was iievfir reaehed. The summit lias lieen reached. An !ob server of political events candot help noticing that there is a decided change in the ( feeling among the Democrats. They are holding up thqlr htyids apd are not afraid. The city elections do not prove everything, but tjiey are a straw AlioWing which way the wind blows. The Chicago election we do’ not count, for there Lt was the strong personality of Carter Harrison, but with all the dirty tight- (hey could not beat him. Democracy is on its mettle again. But it is in the Ohio elections where we see the most encouragement. There were gains all along the line. It shows that Democracy is waking from its long sleep. Democracy is 1 getting a move on itself.

In Cleveland, the town Mark Hanna owns, Tom L. Johnson, the ex-Con gressman, was elected in the face of ‘.he fiercest fight that has been insole In years. Thousapds of dollars were poured into the campaign to defeat lim, but it availed not.. Tom Johnson s an aspirant for Foraker’s seat in the United States Senate, and Why is he lot in line? Not only did Cleveland go Demo•ratic, but Colpmbus, Marietta. Zanes rille, \owrnlk. Hamilton, all normally Republican cities, and Canton, the President's home town, went l»aek on aim, and went Democratic. That is almost as bad as Lincoln, Neb., going Republican. Isn't it? These cities in Ohio •ontrol enough ipejubers of the Leglsla:nre to elect tlie United States Senator. I’om L. Johnson is in a good' way to make Foraker lose some sleep. In St. Ixmis there was a terribly bitter tight. Tlie Republicans spent bar rels of money to defeat Weils, the Democrat, but they B|>ent their money in v»in. The Democrats may have spent some money, too, if they had any. but you must reipember thpt St. Louis Is not at all a sure Democratic stronghold, but, on the other hand, it is nearly always Republican, especially on national affairs. The mayoralty was a big stake this time on account of the World’s Fair to be held there next year or the year After. The whole administration at Washington was interested in the election of Filley, the Republican, but evidently he was too much of a ‘'colt.” A tilley could not make the riffle. So we think the indications are all favorable. The sign is good. any-, way. The summit has been reached, anil from now oh we believe it will be ■-easy travertng with the gradb all down lowii; Demoernt.

The Tardy Supreme Court. It is open to question whether the delay of the United Slates Supreme Court in deciding upon the constitutionality of the PortO Rican tariff Is calculated to win respect for that august tribunal. The point involved is undoubtedly the most important that Congress lias given to the court for years, but as month after month rolls by without a decision and the Insular tariff is maintained in operation the feeling is pardonable that so far as the Judicial branch of the Government is concernoil. it seems of little contemporaneous moment whether the legislative and executive brandies keep within the constitution or not.— -Providence Journal. Pension Shark Property Treated. Six years in the penitentiary. That’s the sentence passed by the I nited States Circuit nt Charleston, 8. <’.. on George I*. McClay, pension shark. There were four counts against him and he pleaded guilty on every one of them. It would be a great thing for the country, the treasury, the old soldiers nnd'the honest pension attorneys If all the rascals of McClay’s stripe were in the penitentiary. We haven't a doubt that McClay highly disapproves qf Commissioner Evans' administration of the pension bureau.— Hartford Cournnt. The Only Unity Worth Having. We urge the Democrats to think more of the country and less of their past differences. Tho only unity worth while is flte unity that will grow out of a frank recognition of existing conditions. It cannot be manufavtured. It must grow Apd the most useful Democrats from now oh will Im* those who wilt gladly enlist In any movement whlfli may have the effect at least of ♦hecklng the’ extravagances of the parly in power—lndianapolis News. Their Scheme Miscarried. During the Simnlsh war tho Government bought the steamship Terry for an army transport ait the price of $170.000. but when the ship was put up at

auction 1114 day' the hid \vas IptT.OOO- Rdthbr tliiui accept such a loss the department will send the Terry to the Philippines to tie list'd as l a’hospital ship for the navy. Thus a very pretty bargain has slipped through the,fingers of a clique ’Of sjiip owjiws who wanted |he vessel t for summer excursions Sound and were uhwjlling to pay a fair price for It.—Philadelphia Record. When OttV'-tIW I i Gorei. ' i From a military point of view the depvndence’of Great Britain upon foreign food supplies has become ■ q.< matter of grave epneeriv Sinqe both breadstuffs and meats at;e so much mor.e ?eonomically obtained abroad the,, domestic production , Jias naturally, diminished, and it Is clearly a pulley for the government to ilo.what it can to prevent its extinction. Even were tlfere not this need, 1 Atherieans are the ihst who can rake 1 exception to the pfiblic patronage of Womehnlirkets. We should insist upon a similar policy and we liave no right to complain because it Is our ox that is gored.—Philadelphia Times. j t i Why Republicans Acquiesce. It is because the Republicans hope to found a party among the reputable and representative white voters of the Smith that they look with such equanimity on tlie abriilgemeut of the illiterate black .vote, feelyig syre .that with the elimination of the fear, of neyro supremacy tlie whiles will divide ou current economic and political issues. It would be idle to contend that such expectations are entirely baseless. With the negro question out’hf tlie way. the Southern whites would be free to align themselves on the other questions that most dosely affected tlicnk—LoirsVille Courier-Journal.

Unreasonable DtrnttMitls on China. Let China bo made to pay the expenses of those who actually went to the deliverance of tin l foreigners—that and nothing more. We trust that our Government' will persist in this just and righteous course. Anything beyond is iruel, rapacious and abominable. Why should China lie hiade to pnj- for Count Von Waldersee’s ’’punitive expedihons," for instance The avowed purpose jof tlie concert had bfen achieved long before the German troops arrived upon the scene. There was no occasion for the expeditions in question.—Washington Post. Tired of McKinleyi Some effort lias been made to account for the recent Democratic victories i« the Western cities by personal and local causes, factional differences and so forth. .All these elements have to be considered, but the fact remajns that the elections of th|s spring,all over the country, both. East and West, have vdry largely resulted in Republican defeats and Democratic victories. When the Democrats have been organized and in earnest they have found the popular sentiment witlrtherti. People nre tired of MeKinleyisin.—Philadelphia Times.

• Political Potpouri. None of 1 the .Republican* papers, in cdinmentlng upbn the character and Herrices of ! Lo£stn. ihehtloned his profound 1 love of liberty or the fact that In INTO he championed the cause of Cub a u Indepemtonce.-r-Indlaiiapolis Sentinel. When an American newspaper editor i in. Manila prints accounts of stealings by high officials lie is banished by MacArthur. When the iiiglf thieving .otti- : Hals are detected in their thieving MacArthur defends them and cables that tpo scandal is greatly, overrated.— • Lafayette Journal. j Tom Johnson Is a condition and not a theory. He is ami he plans to remain a figure in our public life. Ever since Grover Cleveland broke a trail from a mayor’s chair to the White House the Presidential lightning rod has been attached to many a city hall. Hence the new magistrate of the Ohioan metropolis has arouswl the prophets. Boston Globe. Captain Olierlln Carter's health is failing so rapidly in prison that he feels ns if nothing on earth could save his life but a trip to Europe with his now safely planted swag in his gripsack. but tin* Department of Justice cruelly Insists Hint if he Is bound to die he will never be in a more proper frame of mind to go hence than now.— Minneapolis Tribune. "Why abuse Mr. Knox?” asks a Republican paper. Is It abuse to apeak tho truth? The only charge against Mr. Knox Is tlint he has boon the attorney for the steel concerns, nnd now that tho steel trust has Im formed in direct violation of the Bheriunn act, the chances are that ho will protect rather than prosecute the new concern. Where, is the abgse In stating these things?—Memphis Appeal. It may pot be too early to notify Governor. Nash, Senator i’araker. Chairman Dick and several other Republicans who are to have intimate association with the campaign in Ohio this year thint Hie question of municipal ownership of public htllltles thrt'nfens to Hike a'place In the canvass. If they have views on this subject they should !>e getting ready to give them clear nnd free expression. Probably no dodging will be tolerated.—Cincinnati Enquirer