Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-11-04
DISAPPOINTED MEN.
SOME REFLECTIONS INDUCED By
JUDGE GRESHAM's ACTION,

campaign when the unsound, specked
and worm eaten fruit begins to dry from
the party tree. AS the ripening season
plays havoc with the worthless fruit of
the orchard, so the approach of election
tests the soundness of hesitating and dis
appointed men in the great political par
ties. They hold back their
ments to the last moment, hoping to
make the greatest possible sensation.
Their motive is a personal one, else they
wouldnot make public announcement of
their intention. They intend to give
publicity to their detection from the par
ties with which they have hitherto acted
at such times and in such n as
will make themselves fill a greater space
than usual in the public eye, that thus
they may barter whatever of political
influence attaches to them for a royal
welcome in the party to which they de-
sert. The Pioneer Press grants willing
ly to every man the right of independ-
ent political action, the right to change
his party opinion and party relation with
every campaign if it so pleases him, and
if it be done on the basis of principle,
however cratic. Butt it cannot and does
not desire to repress it's contempt for the
brood Of politicians who seek to'create a
personal sensation in every campaign by
p%lacarding their change from one stand
ard to another, as if it marked some
great change Of principle. Such changes
are usually quite evenly divided, and
each party that receives a deserter pro-
fesses to believe that it means momen-
tous things for the campaign. But both
of them know that it is all a part of the
show, a mere bit of brass band and bass
drum work; and the loyal men of each
entertain in the silent depths of their
hearts a feeling not unmixed with con-
tempt for the persons who herald their
march from n camp to the other as a
triumph Of principle over custom and
inclination.
This little theatrical performance has
now begun, and we may look to see
quite a bit of it before the sun dawns on
November's contest. Impartially viewed,
whether the deserter has been Repub-
iican or Democrat, the episode counts
for just nothing at all. One does not
measure the fruit crop by the windfalls
that follow the first autumn blast
through the orchard, shaking the over
ripe stuff to the ground. Judge Gresh-
am lets it be understood that he may
not vote for Mr.. Harrison. Well, peo-
pie should be very sorry for Judge Gresh-
am. All know that he and Harrison
have been bitter political enemies. All
know that he has great political aspira-
lions. and that they have been cruelty
disappointed. 1t was evident enough
when the Peoples party sought him as
a candidate that something was wrong,
because, although he declined to repre-
sent that curious aggregation, he did 60
with such ostentation Of reluctance to
say anything as intimated an uncertain
and discontinued mind. IfJudge Gresh-
am desires to vote against Mr.. Harri-
son it is his privilege to do so without
losing caste; but when he advertises the
fact he must expect that the circum-
stances of the case and tho reasons why
ne is apparently anxlous that his action
shall be known will be examined. Judge
Cooley. it is said, expects to do the same
thing. Judge Cooley was brought into
intimate relations with Mr.. Cleveland
by his appointment as chairman of the
interstate commission. 1t was a COM
pliment to which no man could have
been insensible, and it carried with it T.
strong incentive to personal loyalty. We
have no doubt that if the truth were
known Judge Cooley voted for Mr..
Cleveland in 1883 and will do so again
this year for obvious reasons and with
out making any fuss about it. Wayne
MacVeagh is making a great deal more
noise than either of the other gentlemen
mentioned. Why his declaration in ia
vor of Cleveland should be considered a
detection we do not know.
Mr.. MacVeagh is we'll known as a
Mugwump of the deepest dye. He has
that the proof of independence in poll
tics is to vote against the party with
which you voted last; and it is no more
of a surprise to hear that he will sup
port Mr.. Cleveland than it would be if
the editor of the New York Nation were
to nnoun the same thing. To take
but one of many instances on the oppo-
site side of the question, we find moth
ing miraculous, or ven confirming Re-
publican success, in the desertion of
General Sickles to the Republican LUIS
General Sickles is one Of the New York
Democrats who hate and despise Nh.
Cleveland, and whom it has required all
the strength of party fealty to prevent
from opposing him in the past. He
stumped New York four years ago
rather for the sake of Hill and the state
ticket than for Cleveland. He sat in tho
Chicago convention, and declared him
self there in language which made it
practically impossible for him to vote
for Mr.. Cleveland. He is a bluff old
gentleman and soldier, and simply pre-
fers to state publicly what he is going to
do, instead of protesting, as the rest of
the Hill Democrats do, that he is loyal
to Cleveland, only to knife him the
more vigorously and successfully at the
polls. These four cases are fair SAM.
pies of the fruit that is falling to the
ground in these days. There is great
clamor of words about them, but they
are much like the roorbacks that appear
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