Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-07-03

conVersant with the ways OF Harper's
Weekly to cease to worry or wonder
over its political comings and goings.
When, campaign back, it trimmed its
sails to mugwumpien bret zes, it started
upon course its sailing master we'll
knew LED into the open sea OF democracy
Ii chose the route of gradual approach,
becaase the way was strewn with pickles
and dimes galore. And finally it finds
itself in the accustomed waters out of
which it steered its craft in 1861 when
all democratic ports were closed and
from their cliffs frowned the guns which
placed an m5argo upon tra g.
Those OF US who have lived long enough
to recall the scenes of the early sixties
do not forget the hideous disIoyalty of
Harper's Weekly-how it caricatured
Abraham Lincoln (now canon,zed in the
public heart the world over and held
up to ridicule and reprosch the loyal
leaders OF the republic, then striving
Against the approach of armed rebellion.
Lincoln it pictured as gorilla. La those
days Havper's Weekly catered to the
patronage ut the rebellious GLASS, who
reflected its sympathies through their
sentiments, backed by the money they
poured into the Golfers of Hsrper
Brothers,
When, in the process OF various com.
plications, the states in rebellion we're
blockaded against the wares to be ped.
died from this northern publishing
house, Harper's Weekly adapted itself
to the changed circumstances and be-
came an exponent OF union preserving
loyalty. In this it was controlled by
pecuniary motives alone. Through the
reconstruction period it stood with q
loyal solidity proportioned to the poverty
stricken condition OF its former patrons
in the subiagated south. In the Gree.
ley campaign for impossible political
accomplishments on the part of the
democracy it permitted the wonderful
genius OF its Mast to run riot through it's
pages. In the succeeding campaign it
restricted its artist and then bound him
with contract and suppressed the pro-
ducts OF bis anti democratic pencil The
democratic south was beginning to re-
cover and the fehlty of Harper's Weekly
to repubiioanism waned in like ratio,
Finally the candidacy of Grover
Cleveland furnished pretext for disaf-
lection and in the interest of its south
ern circulation Hsrper's Weekly placed
itself In position TO give aid and com-
fort to the party it had opposed during
the years of that party's pecuniary ina
b1iity to contribute TO the wealth OF
Harper Brothers. 1t professed regenera-
tion uron high moral grounds and en-
braced democracy without assuming its
name. 1t alleged corruption within the
civil service department OF the republi-
can party and embraced withoub any
qualms OF conscience the policy OF the
other party, with an infinitely worse
civil service record-thsn the existing
exponent of fabrication and deceit and
practices the most cowardly and in
famous. Remaining for term OF years
within the purgatory of mugwumpry,
it's now prepared to assume its ancient
positioa and gain full restoration of its
snte-bellam patronage In the land upon
which it turned its back when wars
necessities compelled an abandonment
OF that patronage.
These are historical facts important
enough to recall in this later day when
the apostssy of the George William
Curtis species OF political leaders is
under discussion. He and his EN- oloyers
are politicians for revenue only end
the record clearly sustains this asser~
tion as a fact. From treason to
loyalty when treason was no long
er profitable and loyalty became source
OF revenue. Back to their original posi-
tion, their treason purified by the fire
and blood OF war, when that position
promises once more the pecuaisry
compensation oil the past. This is the
course OF Harper's Weekly. 1t is not
even passing strange that il has gone
from republicanism to mugwumpry and
from mugwumpry back again to the
dam onyafio go.d