New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-25
atives of the people to falsify their pledges anu
dishonor themselves for the furtherahce oi Ills
own selfish purposes.
TROUBLE on MOUNT OLYMPUS


Here's n pretty kettle Of fish, AS late as last
Wednesday the Democratic party had can
didate for the Presidency as good as nominated
and pretty nearly half-elected. 1t was conceded
that the Chicago Convention might assemble
without improperly and go through the form
of calling TIE roll. but the choice had aireauy
been made and Will m e. Russell, or Massa-
chusetts, was the man. Moreover, there WASH
going to be any platform. The canulda'e WAS
merely to travel around the country ana the
people were to take him by the chn gaze INTO
his eyes and ask, Are you the william H. nus
sell who was Governor Of Massachusetts from
1880 to 1897 He was to respond, Il am
and when an examination of his strawDerr!
mark had been made and everybody was salts
fed that it was indeed he and not some other
Russell. Mr.. f. Lawrence Godkin was 10 start
the chorus
II you ask us where he halls from
Our sole reply shall be.
He halls from Massachusetts,
And his name 1t is Billee.
This was delightful programme and exceed
ingly suspicious, though not absolutely original;
for it will be remembered that last fall over
In Long Island City, when the Republicans and
the JeffersOnan Democrats were IN the MIDST
of q regular, orthodox. od-fashoned campaign
of oratory and fireworks and brass bands and
literary bureaus. Patrick Jerome Gleason sud
denly announced his candidacy In these luminous
words: There amt no platform and there
"ain't no campaign. It's nothin' but Gleason.
II Just drive around and yell at my friends.
And Gleason got there. To be sure, 1t was
close finish and he only won by head But 1t
was great head, and 1t established precedent
which Billy Russell couldn't have done better
than follow And he would have followed 1t as
n matter of COURSE Mr. Godkin had announced
the method of procedure, and that settled it. In
fact everything appeared to be settled. There
was Billy, there was Godkin, there was the
searching question Of identity, there was the
strawberry mark and there was the country
ready to burst into tumultuous song Of recog-
milton and acceptance. We never knew can
didate TO start with n better chance Of getting
a run for his money.
And now. on n sudden the favorlte has been
scratched, and nobody knows who will 90 to
the post or whether there IS going to be race
at all. George Fred Williams says he won't
have Billy Russell at any price. There Is war
on Olympus, and If anybody says that we are
mixing metaphors Wen throw an inkstand ut
him. We know our business. When George
'manding prominence that new departure
should be made In his case" and Josiah Quincy,
"in his cold, careful way" adds in the hearing
of The New-York Times" that ut would hardly
be expedent" and Nathan Matthews "disposcs
"of the suggestion with quick, jcrky wave OF
his hand, and n No: why, OF course not, 1t
has got to be acknowledged that the Olympian
gods Of war have been let loose. And 1t isn't
any child's play either. "A quick. Jerky wave
Of Nathan Matthew's hand means that some
body is going TO be hurt. And this leads us To
remark that II the Hon. William c. Whitney.
who was In Boston yesterday. which is rs near
the scene Of conflict as any outsider can reason
ably hope TO get, knows what IL good for him,
he will withdraw his announcement that he
thinks very highly OF William +. Russell"
Hitherto William c. has been uncommonly sue
cessful in avoiding thunderbolts, but II he gets
mixed up In the affairs Of William T.. there Is
no telling what may happen TO him.
However, that Is a matter Of comparatively
trifing Importance. What makes us weep Is
that George Fred and Josiah Quincy and Nathan
Matthews have resolved that they won't let
their fellow-Oympan into the Presidential
chariot race, and that Mr.. Godkin. having re-
signed from the Civil Service Board in order
that he might have ample time TO identify Billcc
as the William T. Russell who was Governor OF
Massachusetts from 1890 10 1893, Is out OF n
Job.