Catoctin clarion., 1895-09-05
Washington Letter

IhlS appears 10 Ce Ine oossee Ye"i 4"
politics. Those leaders whom the po.
litical amateurs delight in stigmatizIng
as bosses seem to be on top all around.
Beset by limitations of various types,
they have carried the masses with them
and won victories everywhere. Quay
has practically triumphed in Pennsyl.
yania, Brice in Ohio, German in Mary
land. All three of these men, accord
ing to the political dilettaute who sit
aboutin elegantly upholstered clubs and
rail at politicians, are selfish, corrupt,
and unscrupulous manipulators. Brice
and German were yehemently denounc.
ed year ago because they stood be-
tween the Treasury and the admitted
effect of the Wilson tariff bill. QUAY
was denominated, BY the Pennsylvania
combination, the upas tree uuder the
blight of whose shadow truth, honor,
and goodness withered. 1twas broadly
stated that all the rectitude and virtue
in the different States was arrayed a
gainst them. And now these three
monsters of iniquity have overthrown
the angel bands and the political heav
en- is hung with deepest mourning. But
the fact is thlt some people accept this
consummation as eminently satisfactory.
The whole structure of the proposition
of the political angel bands is based up
on the postulate that the people are in
capable of judging for themselves; that
those whom they select to guide them
are necessarily unworthy and incompe-
tent. The American proposition is Ger.
tainly preferable to this. This Union
has been brought to its present state OF
splendor and happiness by the people in
the exercise of their prerogatiye of self
government. 1t can hardly be improved
upou by lot of loiterers who think
themselves too good to take an active
part in politics. The people haye been
choosing their bosses ever since l776,
and the nation has grown in glory and
power under the arrangement. When
the masses lose their capacity for seec.
ting leaders it will be time to change
our form of government. That time,
however, has not yet come, and mean-
while vigorous, efficient bosses are pref.
erable to languid amateurs.
Secretary Morton, the chief farmer of
of the Agricultural Department, has in
his nature sharp turn for the practic,
al. 1t has been told how in the ardor
of his lessons in every day finance the
Secretary caused all free silver people
in his department to be paid in the pale
but wcighty coin. He hopes to aid their
incubrations on finance by practical
exposition of what free silver means.
How far the folk of the Agricultural
Department may be brought to better
money views by being made each month
to sweat and bend beneath their weight
of silver wages is a story yet to be told.
There is shrewd rumor that one who is
thus made to suffer from a salary in
silver is a woman. She is described
as person of vigorous mind, physically
as we'll as mentally heavy weight, and
she trends her homeward way each
evening on bike. Her month s wage
tips the beam at eight pounds. On the
occasion of her recent paying off she
bestowed her money in the pistol pock-
ct of her bloomers without complain
ing word, and, mounting her uncertain
vehicle. pedaled way to her home. The
grand stand as she departed noted that
the salary gave her bloomers what sail
ors might call "a list to staboard." If,
however, the silver lady found this un'
comfortable she was too loyal to free
silver to cay SO.
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