Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1894-03-02

week was enthusiastic and harmo-
nious. Filley was the central tg-
ure, and his work showed that he
has lost none of his power or in
fiuencs. "De Ole Man" was
strictly in it, so to speak.
The fellows who were afraid
to speak q word for Filley under
the Harrison administration will
now be found clinging to his coat
tails. The next campaign will be a
Filly campaign, led by Filley,
managed by Filley, and if VIC
tory is at all possible that victory
will be due to Filley's work and
influence.
The Putnam County Lead
er is advocating John c. McKin-
ley, of Putnam county, for Con-
gress. When the congressional
convention takes place. however,
several counties will remember
certain other Congressional con-
yention, to which Mr.. Mckinly
was delegate. The memory of
that convention will not materially
assist Mr.. Mckinley in getting
the nomination.
The masses will be led; it
has been SO since the world came
out of chaos. 1t a leader grand In
foresight, unshaken In conviction
ard tireless in energy, be not
available, the local public is will
ing to follow sny little upstart who
has the audacity to don the ermine
Of prominence. 1t is not disposed
to look back of motive or inspect
pretension, but standIresdy to Join
any procession in which the he8-
gag and the regalis are satisfacto-
ry. Itis the ductility of the mass
es that has furnished such men as
Mshomet. Tamerlane and Bona.
parte. 1t is this weakness of hu-
msnity which has afforded such
contrasts as Luther and Sweden
borg, and folsted into the realm
of intellect such an infnity of
science speculative and contra
dictory, as to make science seem
fraud. 1t is this deplorsble bias
which has traced the progress of
religion in human blood, and has
written upon the dingy Alham-
bra of the proudest nations that
ever defied fate the axiom, "All is
vanity 1t has been manifest in
every consequential sphere of hu-
man endeavor and enterprise, but
in nothing else has if been SO in
excussble as in politics. The in
ersdicable thirst for the unseen
and untried may to degree justi-
fy the religious zealot who pins
his faith to the sleeve of fellow
mortal, but in politics it is all a
temporal problem, susceptible of
spracticsl solution, if the masses
would only think for themselves.
But they will not. Every dema-
gogue, from the pompous whiskey
baron to the little jackanapes OF
the country store, has his follow
ing. We Americans, posing be-
fore the world as a model nation,
60 to church, and sit unmindful
of the sci mon, meditating upon
something some political oracle
has said. And we would fight at
the door of that church any man
of the opposition who might say
our oracle had lied. This politi-
cal bigotry is undermining our
manhood and menaclng our gov
ernment. Men 60 into saloons,
spend their last dollar for whiskey
and their last dime for tobacco,
then sit around and discuss in
their maudlin fashion the beauties
of free trade or the benefits of
protection, according to their poll
teal faith. Try to disguise it as we
will, there is a taint of paternalism
in every phase of our politics-we
are sll looking forward to legisla-
tion that will make the desert
blossom like the rose. No won-
der each administration is prolific
of dissppointments. What fools
we political mortRls be! The soon
er we learn that economy and pros
perity are incidental to individual
effort, and only in a measure sf-
fected by party mrnipulstions, the