The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-12-26
FOR ACTION.

PREPARE FOR ACTION.
The appointment of Stephen Elkins
as secretary of war, n o only means
that Mr.. Blaine will not be a candidate
for the presidential nomination, but
that President Harrison intends to
surround himself with practical poll
ticians.
There never was n more aggravated
''bag of mush'' put into Il cabinet
than William Window. His appoint
ment made the republican practicals
mad, and as 500 as he died, they
FASTENED to Washington to secure a
practical, working politician. They
were gratified in the appointment of
Charley Foster. When the late secre-
tary of wal resigned, the practicals
again came to the front, and stayed
there until Elkins was nominated to
fill the vacancy.
This surrounding himself with some
of the best workers in his party by the
president, has a two-fold meaning.
One is that it strengthens his own
cause in the next republican national
convention. The other is that he has
concluded to put the party under the
control of its strongest and best
organizers.
These tactics may not bring any
more republicans into the fold, and
will not, but any party a be mate
rally strengthened by utilizing the
forces at its command and calling
into action all its reserves. These
tactics mean that the republican party
is 10 be put under the closest organiza-
ton is to be made q compact,
aggressive machine. They mean that
unless met are opposed by an organi-
cation of like compactness, activity
and efficiency, that the republican
party will continue in control of the
government.
Very few words along this line of
thought should be required to awaken
democrats to the need of activity,
organization and unity of action. 1t
will not be safe to go into the next
campaign dependent on sentiment and
a one-idead platform for success.
The blare of trumpets, the blowing
of brass horns, the beating of gongs
must not be the sole reliance of the
party. Buncombe must not be mis-
taken for sound, practical issues, and
practical work must take the place If
hurrah.
1t will not be conducive to strength
TO quarrel over leaders. Many demo-
Gratis want Cleveland. Others desire
Hill. German is the choice of hun
dreds, while still others say, take a
western man
No matter who the man is, we must
all stand by him. 1t will require 500
votes in the convention to nominate.
No man who is unworthy of being the
party's standard bearer can control
all these votes. The fact that he re-
ceiyes the support of all these must be
his guerdon of fitness, of honesty, of
moral stamina. So there will be no
use in democrats who don't get their
choice paving around and flying off
the handle because their particular
choice may get left.
AS it looks now, Governor Hill, of
New York, will in all likelihood be
nominated, with Gray, of Indiana, for
second place. This would be a very
strong combination, and it would mean
fight. 1t would mean opposing organ
ization to organization, working ma
chine against machine. 1t would mean
bringing to bear all the forces of the
party and the application of those
wonderful resources of political activ-
ity and process that has lifted the
empire state up out of the doubtful
column and fixed it firmly in the demo-
cratic line. 1t would mean an end OF
Quayism, and a termination of the
infamy of a Dudley's .'blocks-of-five.'
But Hill and Gray may not be the
nominees. The standard may go to
Cleveland and Boies, or to Flower and
Palmer, or to German and some
popular running mate, no matter who,
Let us close our ranks, dress our lines,
prime our guns, and clear the decks
for action.