Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-09-26
OLYMPIA, SATURDAY MORNING. SEPT. 26. 1S7i.
THEY KISS THE HAND THAT SMITES
THEM.

A more humiliating spectacle was
never presented in any political assem-
bly, than that witnessed last Wcdnes-
day, in the Thurston county Republi-
can Convention, when the leaders of
the party were compelled to gulp down
two of tho most bitter pills and in al
most the same breath the most nause-
eating drau9ht ever prescribed as a fan
cied relief for the ills to which the body
polite is sometimes subject. The pills
were in the shape of the nominees for
Auditor and Sheriff, the two men who
had saddled, briddled and rode the par
ty for their own benefit until it bucked
them off, and then welded the club
that dashed out the brains of the poor
beast which had carried them so long,
SO faithfully, SO we'll.
Four years ago, Messrs. Billings and
Phillips foisted themselves upon the
party for a second term by threats of
boiling; two years ago, the party as
serted its independence and they at
once severed their connection with it,
as having served their turn and being
of no further use to them. As COM
promise candidates they were immedi-
ately nominated by the fusion party
and given two years further lease of
official life. During the memorable
campaign which interviewed, they were
active in their opposition to the party
which had fed and clothed them for
many years, and the party, as a natural
consequences was most bitter in it's de-
nunciation of their treachery and ingrat-
itude. A few days ago, however, it
was whispered about that they were
again in the market, "as no-party men, "
determined to secure nomination from
either party which would agree to retain
them in the two best-paying offices in
the country. Strange as it may appear,
Gov. Ferry, with all his vanity and
egotism, deemed it expedient to "knuck-
le-down" to the unjust demands of
those selfish malcontents, and the party
he leads was, as consequence, On We'd
nesday literally Frustrated into the dust,
to again afford them precarious step
ping stone to position.
It is indeed unfortunate for the self
respect of parties when two or three
men can, by the aid of few personal
adherents, hold ga balance of power
and WELD popular sentiment against
itself. That Messrs. Billings and Phil
lips are the choice of the Republican
convention, for the respective offices to
which they have been nominated, is
not claimed by anybody who witnessed
its proceedings. That they are not its
choice, is the avowed opinion of many
Of its delegates, who acknowledge with
modification and chagrin that party
necessity compelled them to eat " hum
ble-pie' as forlorn hope of success
for the remainder of the ticket.
We cannot repress feeling of sympa-
thy for our veriest foes under circumstan-
ces of such abject humiliation. Many
them are good and true men, whose
fault lies in blind compliance with the
behests of party leaders, instead of as
sorting the God-given privilege of think
ing and acting for themselves. Free
from this restraint, they would not have
sacrificed principle for measure OF
doubtful expediency at best, or have
deliberately paid premium upon the
vilest treachery to their party organiza-
ton. No party can maintain itself
by this short-sighted policy. Wheneve,
it yields to such influences, it betrays
existing weakness and sows the seeds
Of its future dissolution.