Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-06-22
A Variable Creed.

The r0pull>ts are the most incou-
>i~tcnt poop." IN the political swim.
Las: Saturday, in this city, they in
struct,d their delegates to the State
convention not 10 vote for lawyer or
banker fer representative in Con-
grcss, and t!eu, in the election OF del
rgAtes, named II. l.. Forrest, lawyer,
Ca head the delegation in that body.
Ii men ui Mr. Forests class are not
10 represent the people III Congress, by
what process of reasoning do they As
sumo HAT i. j. sAie for their party
to Trust one OF the same class
in the state Convention? ii law
yer. and bankers become so corrupt
rom pursuit OF their respective call
ings, that they cannot be trusted to
>uh>erve the public welfare, which is a
logical inference, how do We know that
there may not be other professions
and business occupations which equal.
ly degrade the moral impulse? Why
select these two from the many, from
the world of business activities And
worse still, what becomes of the fun
damcntrl idea OF the Populistic creed
ri individual rights?
1t is this want OF consistency, so ap-
parent every time the Populists meet
III convention, that restraints the con-
fidence of the people and renders futile
what worthy effort their movement
possesses. Their principles are too
flexihle-too easily warped to suit the
place they want them to fill. There is
too much individual freedom, OF judg-
ment to cement united action, the
only condition for success. Like the
proverbial three London tailors, who
began the preamble of their petition
to Parliament with 1--WE, the common
wealth OF England" the contrast be.
tween their assumption of royal dig
nifty and their actual weakness when
it comes to consideration of the pri-
mary essentials for organization, are
so apparent as to excite only contempt
and ridicule.
The evident sympathy of Populists
with the lawless acts of the Common
veal army, in its foolish march to
Washington, is one of the straws
which alienated all sympathy OF we'll.
meaning people, as is shown by the
result in Oregon. Their doom is
sealed. Their methods are found to
be impractical, and receive the loudest
support from those crack-brained ora
tors who are endowed with PLETHORA
of words" Sound and fury, signifying
nothing"
The assurance of q party with no
better record, and the glazing incon-
sistencies evident in almost every
movement they make, is one of the
most remarkable exhibitions OF the
age. 1t seems that we have fallen
upon an age OF small things-when
pigmies become giants, and clowns
statesman; day when everybody
must ride, though the team is stalled
by the load it had been drawing; a
time when the scum has risen to the
top from the violent ebulition that
has been going on so long.
Where are our Websters, our Ben.
tons, our Clays. at the present time?
Where are our Bryarts, our Coopers,
our Poes, our Everetts? Where the
craftsmanship and scholarship OF the
earlier part of the present century,
We look in vain for a Moses to lead
the nation from the wilderness, and
instead we have Coxey, and Cantwell
and Kelley, in the Commonweal army,
and few men Of lesser note but the
same ambition in the Populists' ranks
who ride their hobbies for about the
same purpose-to pose in the popular
eye as leaders of reform.