The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-29
THE HIGH RANK OF PART1sANs.

Z
There is always more or less scorn
leveled at the head Of a partisan. If
F; a party in a given locality is without
leaders and devoid of following, there
will be always found a certain element
which opposes the dominant party,
with leaders and following, with the
affected belief that partisanship is a
species Of gross ignorance, while a non
partisan is a paragon of intellectually
and independence. 1t it this element
which always opposes the dominating
party until that party is downed and
then these self-congratulated intellects,
who were non-partisans at once show
their true color.
The mugwumps are Of this sort. They
are so intellectual that they must be
non-partisan, until they are in power
or get their man in power and then
they become Democrats forthwith.
But does the partisan deserve the
scorn and contumely and contempt that
has been heaped upon him: Who is
the greatest man in the country today?
Unuuestionably William Mckinley.
Who will support him: The intellect
uaI classes. Is he man of small in
tellect or narrow views? Is there a
man anywhere who doubts his man.
hood or his integrity?
Yet he is a partisan, partisan Of
pronounced type, a partisan in national
elections, partisan in state elections,
a partisan at his home town, Canton,
Ohio. There have been nOn-partisan
tickets at Canton. Ohio. Did Mckinley
vote for them? Of course not. If he
had he would not today be the leading
and almost assured Republican candi-
date for president.
The presidency is the highest place
among men. 1t is place that no man,
no matter how intellectual, no matter
how toploftical in views, would refuse
to accept And yet that place is only
possible to men who are partisans.
Non-partisans are not elected 10 the
presidency. Men who assist nOn-par-
y
Is there any reason why non-parti-
sans are prescribed? There is and it
is because human nature was so form
ed first. and has been so educated and
will continue to be so cultivated, that
the world, either in nation, state or
village admires a man of convictions,
a man who has a banner and maintains
it, and a man who is not afraid to say
what he is and where he can be found.
Men are willing to devote themselves
to a fellow being who tells them he
has fixed opinions on public questions
and will go with those opinions up or
down.
William Mckinley will be the next
president of the United States. And,
oh dreamy, philosophical intellectually
and mugwumpian ariStocracy and
Democratic masquerader, partisanS
will put him there, as they have made
it possible for him to aspire to that high
place.
He will take this country when
1t has been whipped dry Dy the
laundering Democrats, among whom
always can be found the intellectual
non-partisans, and will restore it, and
when he steps down out of the presi-
dency and no longer seeks political
honors he will remain a partisan, just
as Ben Harrison is today.
This is a partisan year. The people
do not want non-partiSan tickets, be-
cause non-partisan tickets are Demo
cratic tickets in nine cases out of ten |
and a Democrat, masquerading as a
non-partisan will commit just as many |
blunderS, as if he still had the courage
to come before the public as Demo
crat.