St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-23
THE IL OF SPRINGER.

Mr.. SPRINGER is chewing the cud of
reflection these days, and if the taste is
bitter with humiliation he cannot
sweeten it with the thought that it is
undeServed, or that his treatment is I'M
just.
The country will not emOve its atten-
ton from the fluctuations of finance to
witness Mr.. SPRINGER'S lamentations.
1t will accept with cheerfulness Mr..
WILSON'S substitution at the head of
the ways and means committee. 1t is
more concerned in It's safety than in the
personnel Of the pilots. But it can we'll
afford to pause a moment to reflect on
the SPRINGER incident and draw from
it the lesson in political morals it
teaches.
Two years ago come December. a war
whose declaration was the famous mes
sage of 81 had brought its first great
victory. and a Democratic majority had
assembled to take control OF the house
of representatives and the purse strings
of the nation. Easily leader after
CLEVELAND in that fight was the gal
liant, chivalrous, impetuous MILLS, the
Murat of the campaigns. Naturally,
justly, logically, the leader In the field
should be the leader in the house. The
head of the committee of the house
which had charge of the issue on viii CHI
h battle had been fought and won was
the fit leader of the house which was to
utilize the victory.
What has happened on other fields
happened here. Men who had done
nothing or little to win the fight claimed
the results of the triumph. Men began
to scheme for place and preferment.
MalingererS in the tariff camp, men vino
went with the cause. hating it, because
there was no other place to go; others
because they could injure it more by
going with it; men who had been caught
by the glamor of silver. all conSpired
to deprive the leader of his merited
honor. Mr.. CRISP arose on this sedi-
tlous wave to contest the Speakership
with Mills. The usual arts were piled.
Alluring offers of chairmanships were
held our to seduce men from their 10y
atty and duty.
Mir. SPRINGER had been long identi-
fed with the fight against a robber
tariff. He was one Of MILLS aids IN
committee and IN the floor. By all laws
of cohesion, natural and political, his
place was among the supporters OF
MILLS. But he vas ambitious. He
would be chairman Of the ways and
means committee. Mr.. MILLS would
make no pledges; would buy no mans
support with promise of place. Mr..
CRISP was bothered with no such fastid-
%iousness. Mr.. SPRINGER was made
chairman of that premier committee
when Mr.. CRISP was elected. He
'.picked the winner" Mr.. MILLS was
ostentatiously degraded by the speaker.
Entitled to the headship of his old COM
mittee, the speaker offered him that of a
minor and Insignificant one. With be-
coming dignity he declined. His state
resented the affront and promoted him
from the house to the senate.
Mr.. SPRINGER cannot complain. He
gets measure for measure: He was
useful in '91, and was paid for his
services. A completed bargain has no
entail of obligation. He is useless In
'93. He should not complain. He may
well feel chagrin, but not for today's
events-for those of '91. He can only
blame himself. Mr.. WILSON, who re-
fused to betray his chief, who stood I'M
f%inchingly by the cause that chief rep
resented, sits in Mr.. SPEINGER'S place.
The moral is plain. Promotion or place
in politics or elsewhere, that is bought
with the price of betrayal OF conviction
Or of duty. is worthless; it is an apple
of the Dead sea that turns to ashes
on the lips. 1t is only good when it
comes following merit, honor, loyalty.
steadfastness; their captive, not tn cir
| captOr.