The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1893-03-25
a ONE TERN MAN.

A few days ago President Cleve-
land paralyzed some tens of thousands
of office-seekers, says an eastern ex-
change, within the ranks of his own
party by announcing that he is as
much of one-termer now as he was
when he first went into the White
House. The difference is in the appli-
cation of the principle, not in the
principle itself. His present method
of carrying out his original idea is to
take new men for his subordinates,
from the secretary of state down to
the crossroads postmasters. He still
thinks one term enough. Like the
jolly tar of the song. no matter what
he does "his heart is true to Poll"
The exception in his own case only
serves to prove the rule.
Hardly had the multitude in inter-
est had time to take in the full signi-
ficance of his declaration before another
hardly less sweeping policy of disap-
pointment is announced. There are a
great many Democratic journalists in
this country, and it is barely possible
that some Of them do not care for
Office. 1t is impossible. in a case like
this, to figure on the number before
whose eyes dances the vision Of patron
age. One of the number has been
taken care of already, Hoke Smith, or
as some of his brethren were disposed
20 spell ic, Hoax Myth. The selection
of the secretary of the interior from
the newspaper fraternity was a pretty
good start, and indicated an apprecia-
ton of printers ink in campaign poll
tics. But now Mr.. Cleveland an
nounces that he does not intend to dis,
turb the editors In the discharge of
their accustomal duty. He remembers
that when President Harrison ap-
pointed Whitelaw Reid and Emory A.
Smith to good diplomatic positions the
Democratic press set up howl about
''subsidizing the PRESS" and he pro-
poses to take them at their word. The
new postmaster general, Wilson Shan
non Bissell. following the lead Of his
old partner and present boss, adds that
if the editors of the country press were
given postofices their praise of the ad-.
ministration would have little or no
influence, Whereas if they have no soft
snaps tEeir hozannas would be infuen-
tial with the people, And so, between
master and servant, a Chinese wall
runs all along the boundary, keeping
out the Tartars of the press from the
pleasant fields in full view.
These two lines of policy are in har
mony with the more general observa-
tion Of the inaugural to the effect that !
the workers in politics should not ask |
for any reward, content to achieve
victory for the party, leaving the re- !
wards of Office for the gentlemen who
were content to vote, the toll and ex-
penses of the campaign to be, like vir
tue, self-rewarding. But it may not |
be SO bad as it seems. Perhaps the
two gentlemen from Buffalo are simply |
trying to re-enact the policy of Gid |
con in choosing his band. That policy
was to discourage all who could be dis
couraged, wedding out the faint hearts.
The TINES -MoUNTAINEER cannot make
itself believe that the great men who
now guide the destinies of the nation
in Washington City will be SO cruel
and unmindful of their partisans as
their pretensions would indicate, and
that some chestnuts will yet fall in the
laps Of the faithful who have been eye
ing them eagerly for number Of years
past.