New-York tribune., 1896-06-04
ECZEMA PREFERRED.

ECZEMA PREFERRED.
That was n very frank confession which our
Mugwump evening contemporary made few
days ago when il said. In burst Of emotion over
the probability of Mckinlcys nomination nj ~.
Louis: IF we must have either Ilatt or Nc
"Kinley better have Plat. II we have to
"choosc between eczema and double pncu-
'monia give us eczema" II doubtless occa-
stoned some surprise among the habituai rcnd-
crs Of that journal. in whose minds the idea
had been instillcd that Mr.. Platt represented
In the concrete municipal msgovcrnment. lcgls-
latiyc corruption. Executive subscrviency To
Boss dictaton. and all the evils that flow from
Boss rule From this point Of view our es-
tccmcd contemporary had for these many years
held up Mr. Platt 10 public repr"bation. Ana
though its unfortunate manner of conducting
such n crusade usually has the effect 10 wcnk-
on the cause II advocates and create sympathy
for those whom II aims 10 destroy. there has
been no reason To doubt the sincerity of lis in
tcntions or it's desire 10 render useful public
service Ii is Of course. open 10 question
whether upon the whole IN" vigor of i's at
tacks upon Mr. Platt In the past has not con
trbutcd 10 that gcntlcman's strength, just as
its lately avowcd preference for him has obvi
omsly impaired If not completely destroyed. H.
However that may be-. We cling 10 the h"lrf
that il has always meant nnd stu means well
II Is due rather To- the misfortune Of It's intel
lcctual temperament and the methods II adopts
In the discussion OF controvcrtcd questions
than 10 any really p"rvcrsc ana cvil PURPOSE
that il so invariably happens that II hurts the
cause II tries TO help. and helps the cause II
tries TO hurt
In the matter OF ts preference for Plau io
Mckinley for the same reason that II prefers
eczema 10 double pneumonia, however much ltS
avowal may have surprised some OF IL read
crs IL does not seem to us In the least mys-
tcrous For the basic principle Of The Ec-
zema' as all It's readers know or ought 10
know, Is hostility 10 everything that bears any
likeness 10 a tariff for the Projection of Amcri-
can Industry Mr.. McKInleys name Is lnsepa.
raby connected with the iariN law OF 1880. the
purpose Of which was 10 combine Protection
with raising the revenue necessary 10 carry on
the Government. The Eczemas" hostility 10
Protection was so extreme that IL advocated
change under which there has been neither
Protection nor sufficient revenue 10 meet the
Governments daily expenditure And II con
tnues TO advocate that policy. Without disput-
ing the intelligence Of The Eczema, or the
fact that II has reached the age OF discretion.
The Tribune holds a different view, and en-
deavors 10 maintain II with reasonable courtesy.
| For this reason The Eczema" says and keeps
saying, that we are childish" and its last
comment was that we had been interrupted by
the entrance Of the nurse announcing supper
and bedtime. Writing for the newspapers is
Every WELL said this cstlmnble woman, but
Tommy must go to bed at II he Is ever to be
ga big boy" We do not recall the Interrupt
| tion, but never raise issues Of fact with The
Eczema" All the same. II 1t be true II seems
cruel In our esteemed contemporary TO twIt us
Of It. 1t only shows that In It's zeal for Free
Trade and It's hostility to Protection It Is liable
TO forget that common politcness forbids the
publication Of domestic secrets heard ni the
kcyhole OF the nursery.
Feeling as II. unfortunately does on the sub
jcct Of Protection, Of which Mr. Mckinley il
the recognized exponent. It IL not at all strange
that The Eczema" should prefer Platt 10 Me-
Kinlcy. It, preference for Piat includes. Of
course. preference for Platts candidate Gov
ernor Morton. That means that with the al
most certainty Of the election Of the Republican
candidate for President II would rather have
Morton than Mckinley or anybody else And
that would mean In the Federal Administration
| WHAT we nave seen during the last TWO years
In the administration OF the State OF New
York. 1t would be not merely Platt as Gov
ernOr and Legislature Of New York. but Platt
as Secretary Of the Treasury dc jure and Pres
idcnt Of the United States dc facto II would
mean not merely an Endorsement and ap-
proval Of the Platt methods. which have dis
grnced the Governor and humlliatcd the State.
but the perpctuatOn of those methods and their
broadening over the whole country Il feeble
Executive manipulated and controlled by cor
rupt and unprinciplcd Boss. And with this
condition nothing to redeem 1t except that the
attention Of the American people had been mo
mcntarily diverted from the tariff issue upon
which their minds are fixed Would that be-
sufficient compensation for THE Eczema:
We cannot think So. Still there is much com
fort In the thought that. whatever happens
THE Eczema" Will not be really unhappy. For
1t IS always happicst when everybody else is
unhappy, and the sources Of its own unhap
piness full to Overhowing. 1t never feels
so well ~ when everything Is going wrong. II
everything went smoothly. II would die Of H.
own coagulntcd sweetness. Its preference fol
eczema is quite natural. 1t never offers itself
a choice between sound health and disease; Il