Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-06
Many pCST-IHTELLleEkcER


III L
yv.vIss ASD PEKFsRnAsGE-
49,. An. s0o Mr.. Bland, Of Mia
- ,ns,ges.sd in the Hosse Of Rsgre-
ss.,atiyss that the platforms soopsee
,ssa wear By the RspabIieaA and Demo
s,n,ie National Conventions, sseecsaiiJ
,to.s uortsons relaaing 10 the forfst'srs
~ unssrrSd land grants. he read to TIE
msmbsrs in order that they might os
informed Of the p1@tiions ~bies sSs'
are expected TO bold on that qHes''on'
po.b ooEveutions. il vill Be rsEsm
barred. declared 10 favoT Of the fo'i"''afS
Of such grants, tie Democrats N 'a
ue.. vigorous and direct larsoass. ano
the Revubliean mole auardsdiV bs' saiH
snmissakabIy. 10 face OF these o.
rlarations, h0=ever, both so9s1s u
r,,,ovss.. the one With kepubsiean
and the other With DensOcrstse ma
iority, refuse TO give the subject 70"
confederation which lie Importance os-
asnds, and persis, IN ignoring the DE-
ra.nas Of the people Of the WEST thai
this ersa, question be ssttled one way
or N. other without further delay.
Mr.. BANDS Suggestion should have
teen acted upon. The reading OF the
platforms wonid probably have had 10
direct eject, further than 70 eaase
their republication in the newspapers
and some Discussion Of the particular
elansss in question; bat the attention OF
the people would have besn directed
more foreibly 10 the vast difference De-
tween the policy Of political party a.
eel forth in its platform before election
and a. sreGsplifisd In its action after
election. Americans must recognize a
peculiarly American code OF political
sthlos by which proasises made for the
uurpose Of cstehine votes have no bind
inc force after the day on which The
votes sought are safely gathered IN the
hallot boz. This eide IL 90 generally
acknowledged BY the people that The
making Of ante election promises oply
N break thea, 10 considered no more
eulpable than the vain effort Of de
lnded urchin 10 sprinkle salt upon the
Tail Of . bird which persists In avoid
ing his clutches.
n Yet what an absurd fiction Il all Is
The National Convention Of a party
meets, it, committee on resolutions
comes togsthsr, and after deiiberasiop
produces a series of resolutions which
do not snbody the principles OF the
party-not q declaration Of its policy tn
the future--but siAply and purely a
statement Of what The committee COZ
sidsrs popular. And the people know
this; know that the piatfogm mean'
nothing at all, yet they hurrah through
three months II torches and fireworks.
and on slsction day 20 10 the polls
vainly tryinR TO persuade themselves
that they are voting for principle, while
they know all the while that the mel
Cor whom they are voting will, II elect
ed, pay no more attention 10 platform
and principles than they will 10 the ea-
actions Of The code of Drsoo. II til,
Democrats, when the day for casting
the electoral votes arrived. had. by a
preconoerted arrangement cast iheii
votes for Tiiden. for Bayard, or foi
Hendricks, instead Of for Cleveland,
che entire Nation would have been
moved by the indignation Of dupeo
people. But what is the difference be
tween promising TO elect one man onlS
10 elect another, and processing one SET
Of principles only 10 carry out another
That IL pVint calculated to pazzie the
student seeking to unsavel the mysis
siss of the political code. He cannot
fall 10 see that one is just as gross de
csption ~ che other. YET ihe very people
Who stand one smilingiy and calmly Al
q matter OF course, would rise in ho
wrath at the very suggestion Of th'
o,heY. l. Is one Of the psculiarisi,s o.
our sense Of political right and wrong
Probably, after ell, those members wer'
right Who smiled as grizzly at Mr
island's suggestion as II he had pro
posed TO bold them strictly responsible
for the wording of tho Declaration o.
Independence.