Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1908 — THE FOOL'S CAP OF THE CAMPAIGN. [ARTICLE]

THE FOOL'S CAP OF THE CAMPAIGN.

Indianapolis News (Rep.). The fact that we are In' the last days of the campaign, when money flows, enthusiasm rises and bitterness Increases, is no reason why we should lose our sense of humor. The suggestion comes from the very interesting letter by Mr. Hornaday from New York in The News yesterday, telling of the amount •jtfifgnohey that is to be expended there for visable things between now and election day, and also the "issues” that are to he presented to an intelligent people for their decision as to the government of the country for the next four years. Mr. Hornaday recalls that two months ago writing from Chicago he said that the plan of campaign decided on by the Republicans was that in the last days every platform issue was to be side-tracked for the cry that it was "the same old Bryan" and that his election would be a menace to business stability. The prediction, he says, is now being verified and that the Republicans in New York are relying on the "calamity cry” to save them. It is the same old cry, but it has to be arranged to suit circumstances, and here is where the humojxcomes in, In 1896 and in 1900 the cry wad: “If you vote for Bryan you will have a panic.” Now it must be modified thus: “If you vote for Bryan you can not get rid of the panic.” If there is any one that can not see the humor of that he may consider himself dead to the sense of humor. We had "good times,” as on the other two occasions, and the folk that were in charge, claiming a peculiar property in the making and preserving of good times, told the country that this man, if elected, would bring bad times. With everything going well the people were solemnly assured that if they did not keep the managers that had made them go well there “would be a panic.” Were they much |o be blamed if they took the benefit of the doubt and decid-

ed to let well enough alone—Mark Hanna's great campaign cry? At all events they did take the benefit of the doubt and decided' to keep the same managers with their specialty of prosperity. They have had lull swing. And lo they landed us in a panic now a little more than a year ago, the effects of which are still severely felt in every city and hamlet in the land. What now? Will the engineers of this smash-up hide their diminished heads? Not a hide. They turn their backs on every issue presented for the government of the country and cry: “If you vote for Bryan you can not get rid of this panic"—our panic—home made under a high protective tariff against the pauper panics of Europe, and from which the special expert in panic production—Bryan—was carefully excluded. Nothing Democratic about this, nothing imported, purely Republican and of domestic origin from the raw materials to the finished product. Now if you do not vote for us to continue on the job you can not get rid of our handiwork! could there be any thing more ludicrous? Could absurdltly be reduced further? Surely if the great American people respond to such a thing in sober earnest. Puck will have fresh inspiration for saying, "What fools these mortals be."