The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-16
SEATTLE. MONDAY. jim. 10.
THE SENATORSHIP.

There Is no good reason, public or prI-
vate. that can be urged why John B. Allen
should not be reelected to the United
States senate. He is a man of education,
ability and experience; a gentleman in
manners habits and speech; he is accused
of no infidelity to the interests of any por-
ton Of the state, he is esteemed and re-
spected by his fellow senator's as a man of
superior parts and character. There is
nothing, then, in the public or private rec
ord of Senator Allen that does not COM
mend him for reelection. He is the
choice of the majority of the Republicans
in the legislature. and under the rule of
the majority he will be nominated by the
party caucus. The Republican opposition
TO the reelection Of Senator Allen re-
fuses to take part in the caucus
in order to escape being bound by
its decision. They have no hope of
electing Judge Turner, and with the ex-
tinction of this expectation the friends of
Judge Turner ought not 20 persist in
their factious determination to force a
deadlock in the hope to defeat the election
of Senator Allen.
Anything TO Beat Blaine" was the cry
A. Cincinnati in 1876. Blaine was beaten,
but at what bitter cost to the party of
heart burnings and domestic troubles.
whose settlement has reduced rather than
increased the party strength. When the
Republican party assembled in national
convention in 1876 it had behind it the
record of the great triumphs OF 1850, 1864,
Ice ,rba -, I,l
country. because no private resentments
or personal prejudices were allowed to in-
terfere with the choice that seemed best JUS
titled by public interest and party veal.
In the national convention of 1876, for the
first time in the history of the party, the
petty cries of bitter personal warfare be-
gan to be heard. and finally when all
reasons of public policy and personal pre-
eminence seemed to justify the expecta-
ton Of victory for Blaine, the miserable
cry of Anything to beat Blaine" was
started hy the representatives of his rivals
for the succession; hatred gave the hand
TO petty jealousy, prejudice and spite, and
man of the first order of political genius
was sacrificed TO low-toned personal poll
tics. A prize that belonged to
statesman was thrown to medi-
ocrity. From that time forward the
Republican party has been the vic
tim of personal politics rather than the
executive of the plain will of the people.
The fight OF 1876 was repeated in 1880,
1881, 1888 and 1892, and steadily has the
party lost ground from the indulgence of
this fell spirit which says if 81 cannot
make the spoon | will spoil the horn
rather than let the other fellows make it,"
When private pi9ue, passion, luminosity
and prejudice are Rugged to the breast of
faction to keep it warm the consequences
are always disastrous.
On the broad. generous grounds of pub
lie policy Senator Allen deserves and
ought to easily command IA reelection:
If he is defeated he will be beaten
in violation of the soundest maxifns
of party policy and political action:
he will be beaten simply to per-
petuate war of sectional party
strfe in the state. 1t will be viz
tualiy saying that differences of opinion
concerning men shall not be settled by
the rule OF tn majority in caucus; that if
the minority candidate cannot win he will
at least ruiu where he cannot rule; if he
cannot win battle under his own fac
tional and sectional flag he will defeat the
will of the party majority in satisfaction
of his spite. This is the rule of sulien,
spitefIl schooiboys rather than of men as
Stunning to do the work of statesmen The
rule Of the majority is the only safe soIu-
ton for party differences, unless the party
desires 10 be disintegratei. demoralized
and devouret by sectional or factional
warfare within the party on every occasion