, 1890-10-30
THIRD PARTIES.

In his speech at Ilttsburg, Satur.
day, Senator Sherman called atten.
ton to the perpetual attempt OF a
few soreheads aud ''people who
think they are a little better than
their neighbors to go off to roost by
themselves on some side issue and
call themselves n third party"
1t is high time that the statesmen
of the nation were facing this an.
noying phase of political Puritanism
and calling 1t by its true name, in.
stead of trucking to Its scattering
votes. Right here In Spokane,
night after night and day after day
blatant demagogues insult the
American nation aud viliiy the
best, the purest men in America,
whose shoes they are not worthy TO
tie.
"The two old parties are notcri.
ously corrupt, and we are inspind
with the mission of hurting them
from power" is the burden OF this
demagoglc song. 1t is strange that
II should attract even the smallest
following. The two great parties
divide between them the American
nation. If they are corrupt aud I'M
worthy of existence, then are the
American people corrupt, and this
mighty nation IL upon the verge Of
overthrow and ruin. If these loud
mouthed demagogues and vagabonds
are right in their declarations,
American institutions are failure
and free government farce.
We do not believe that all the
patriots and statesmen lived In
bygone age, and that to this genera
ton have fallen all the cheap aud
corrupt politicians. We believe that
as u rule the American government
Is in the hands of the ablest and
most honorable men in the nation.
Not to believe this IL to discredit
the republican form OF government,
to confess to the world that free
government is failure.
1t is strange that a proposition SO
preposterous as that advanced by
the leaders of these so.called third
parties should receive moments
consideration. The men who en-
deavor to form these new parties
turn back the innumerablo pages ol
history, and pointing to periods OF
great crises, compare this magnih'
centgovernment with the tyrannous
regimes of bigots of the past, ana
in their roverweening conceit Imagine
themselves better than their neigh'
bors and the equals of the highes!
types Of patriotism that the worlu
has produced In twenty centuries,
We do not look to obscurity ioi
great artists, great writers and grea'
orators. We do not take the ap
surd position that the wrong men
are writing our books, teaching oui
schools, controlling great enter
prises and rising TO the surface IN
all the varied affairs of mankind.
Then why should we believe tha'
the wrong men are making, eN~
cutting and passing upon our laws,
that corrupt and incompetent men
are directing the affairs OF govern
ment? We know that there are eH
ceptions that mediocrlty occs
slonally steals houors that properly
belong to unsuccessful men, pu
these are the exceptions that prov
the rule.
No greater calamity could beiai
this nation than the complete over
throw of the two ruling parties ah'
the elevation to places of trust AM
responsibility of the soreheads ant
incompetents who are seeking tina
result.
Nine-tenths of the so-called leader
Of these new parties, which spriu,
up at every election, are valn' wear
or corrupt. They have been
iected by the ruling parties, becaus
those parties felt the responsibility.
placed upon them by the peope.
Tho unfortunate phase OF IN
tendency to new parties Is tho iac
that the bulk of the voters VINO =
upon these wild goose chases y.
really imbued with an earnest desir
to better the government; but wy
will never accomplish their DIE
object by listening to rant ol uei,s
gogues and rejected official timoe'