The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-17
sEArr1E. TUESDAY, NOR. ~.
= FREE LANCE STATESMAN KICK.
ING AGAINST TAMMANY.

-. george William Curtis did himself
crsdis ~ his determined hostility to Tam
many and his warm support of Fassett.
mas supported the Democratic national
ticket ever since he left the Republican
party In 1884, but his revolt against Tam
many inspires the hope that he may be
found fighting in 1899 the election of the
IAmmany candidate for president of the
United States. Mr.. Curtis is a man of
brilliant mind In many directions, but he
has no more claim to be called states
man than man who knows the nomen.
ciature md book theory of navigation
has to be called an able seaman. He.lef
the Republican party in pique in 1884,
instead of staying by it and helping its
publication and rehabilitation; he Joined
the Democracy, and after acting with all
the characteristic zeal and viruIenco of
~ apostates for several years, he is practi-
caliy thrown overheard today, because he
belongs to thu Democratic militia rather
than to the Democratic regular army. He
bounced ont of the Republican party in q
pet" and was cheered by nobody outside
che kid-glove Democrats, and now the
Democratic party of New York is evil
IDENTIFY quite willing to bounce him despite
his very great services in 1884 and 1885,
A man in political life who is unable or
unwilling to act earnestly with either
party may be a very nice person In many
ways, but he certainly has no genius a, a
statesman, and need not hope to have any
influence for good in the politics of the
country. Mr.. Curtis could have helped
his party by staying in II, but he injured
his own party and did not raise the tone of
the Democracy by his desertion, and he
failed simply because he lacked the per-
ception that the spirit Of compromise, the
acceptance of the greatest practicable
good. 10 the true secret of reform and prog
rcss. Egotism, imperiousness. willfulness
and morbid petulancy may do for Rus
sian GEAR or Eastern despot, but they do not
stand Tor statesmanship under our flag.
Mr.. Curtis IL conspicuous by his fine
literary talents among the Stree lance"
politicians Of the country who stand for
. great deal more theoretical statesman
ship than they do for hard sense or prac-
Hcal faculty. Aiming to be independent,
they end only in chronic consciousness
and snobbish contempt for the plain pco-
PIE, whose pursuit Of what they term mis-
leading lights they pretend to deplore. and
whose masses they aspire to lead and con-
troll without knowing how to do 1t. These
fellows are always kicking furiously in the
traces of either party, but the violence of
their squirting heels is no proof that there
Il really any cause for tumult. 1t
Is only their mental idioeyncracy that
they are nothing when not hypercritical.
Fancying themselves the only true
"friends of humanity" that the ''needy
knifegrinders" of the people can hang
their hopes upon, these independents"
are a. cold as frogs when they deign to
come into personal contact or intercourse
with the ''masses" about whose salvation
they vapor and wranglo so much.
A notable illustration of the current
workings of the independent mind is
found In the fact while Mr.. Curtis, the
New York Evening Post the Springfield
Republican and the Boston Herald were
united In denouncing the fell spirit and
purpose of Tarsmany. they still continue
"a rlorify Cleveland. who, ignoring all his
old-time denunciation of Tammany. heart
ily supported a Tammany ticket that so
sound Democrat as ex-Mayor Hewitt re-
undated with scorn.