The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-02-27
POLITICAL PLATFORMS.
Parties and Politicians Arraign-
ed-A Plea for Clean
Methods.

NJ IA \ ASo 4oA SACcA
Methods.
The foregoing brief outline of
the four political platforms adopt
ed in 1892, tends to show the drift
of public sentiment on some quss-
tions. In many respects they all
want the same thing if one can
understand the language used in
the platforms. / have been forci-
bly, reminded of the methods en-
ployed by our predecessors in pos
session of this country by which
they sustained their courage and
their self esteem, when | have read
the preambIes and statements at
the commencement of some of
these Platforms, which for want Of
space is not given here, but which
can be found i'll almost any politi-
cal almanac; as shown, say i'll
Cooper's ''Prairy" when Matorahee
an Indian chief alter pointing out
to his dusky squaw the difference
between her personal charms and
the beauty of a white woman.
whom he wished to install in her
place, and leaving her to mediate
on this difference, which was not
in her favor, he turned away grunt-
ing, "Matorahee is very wise
What nation has so great a chief
as the Dacotahs 2"
One would think by reading the
preambles to some of these plat
forms, that the several parties were
about on level with this savage
red skin, in some respects.
This article is suggested by re-
marks, which l heard at public
meeting and address by populist
orator recently at the court house.
There were present at that meet
ing some OF the best citizens in
this county. l understand that
they adhere to the general doc
trines in the populist platform
Some of them have talked with
me OH the subject and seem to be
as sincere in their beliefs in that
direction as any democrat can be
to his political faith. or as | am to
my political principles.
1t has seemed to me that repub
lican papers in alluding to populist
doctrines in an humorous or bur-
lesque vein are not following the
method best calculated to draw
the voters back to their former po-
litical allegiance, nor to prevent
other voters from joining their
forces. 1t is sometimes said, "You
cannot reform an old inebriate, so
try to save the young" But it is
not by burlesquing the liquor traf-
fic that you save the young. So it
seems to me that it is not by bur-
lesquing the populist idea that you
will prevent voters from joining
that party when they come to the
conclusion that their efforts to-
ward clean political management
are in vain. | have yet to find a
populist. who did not leave some
other party because he thought 1t
impossible to reform the methods
of the party he had been in. Nor
we find the GAZETTE oitimes speak
ing in no uncertain language about
the manipulation of party ma
chine work which has sometimes
been called the "Simon ring" if l
mistake not. Is there any differ
ence between a protest on part of
the GAZETTE, and the protest made
by the populist who leaves the
party because he believes the
''Machins" allows corruption TO
taint the platform we set out be-
fore the voterss The only differ
ence can see is that the populist
becomes discouraged of any thing
better and goes into the other
party hoping for cleaner methods
there, while the GAZETTE sticks to
its republican affiliations and fights
for clean methods in the party.
While we may suppose that many
will not condemn the populist
from leaving a party which he has
lost faith in, not SO much from the
cardinal principles standing out i'll
the platform as Oh account of the
corruption manifested in some
parts of ii; still more will be like
ly to admire one who remains in
| the party and fights SO long as he
] has fighting strength left, for clean
kmethods in party manipulation,
aSFbr legislation which will pro-
teet all of the people and not only
some favored classes.
AS stated at the beginning of
this article, it seems to me that
the place where the greatest at
1 II &l0 .l>-,1l l,o