The Butler weekly times., 1896-02-13
REEDY'S ROAST.
He Pays His Attention to cold De-
mandern FiIley Once More.

mhuueF EIhcy OuCC MoiC'
"Billy" Reedy jumped astride OF
"Old Demander" Filley in last weeks
st. Louis Mirror. Here is what he
had to cay of the most corrupt poll
tician in Missouri:
"The announcement of Mayor Cy'
prus p Walbridge that he will &C
cept, if it is rendered to him, the
republican nomination for governor
of this state is an event that may be
commented upon without taking
sole confederation of politics, Aside
from democracy or republicanism,
there is no man of intelligence in the
state who will not indorse the move
ment of which Mr., Walbridge's an
nouncement is a manifestation. 1t
means revolt against slum domina.
tion in one of the great parties. 1t
is a breaking away from the Filley
influence. The Filley influence is
the solidarity of the ignorant, direct
ed and controlled by tie genius of
the corrupt. The Filley influence
has it's origin in dives and crap
games. 1t has it's end in profit for
the boss and places for his servants.
It represents the sale of nominations
the levying of fixed tribute upon Of
fee holders for the bosses susten
ance. The declaration of Mayor
Walbridge is glove thrown down
in behalf of better things in politics.
It offers battle to Filley, who is in
carnate, scheming, conceit, inele.
gance and venality. 1t is move
ment of gentlemen against force
that is compact of vulgarity, ruffian-
ism, bigotry and Doodle. Filley is
u slave.driver and slave. He con-
trolls the niggers of st. Louis, and
is the only man who fraternizes
with them in an intimacy so pro-
nounced that their idiom colors his
speech. In dealing with his Teu-
tonic adhersnts Filley is bulldozer.
In all his political methods he is a
braggart and self.seeker. If he has,
now and then, reputable men "on
his STAFF it is because he wishes to
use them while they use him. 1t is
kind of self pollution on his part
that speaks the mental attitude of
the decayed Roman. The kind Of
talent that Mr.. Filley possesses is
the talent that is remarkable only az
contrasted with the purposes for
which it is exercised and displayed.
Mr.. Filley has made politics his
business for years and has lived
we'll, without any visible means OF
support. He lives by his wits we
may suppose, but there is in the
phrase an implication of tortuous
methods that, instead OF compli.
menting the man to whom it is ap.
piled, puts him on the same plane
with the bunco-steerer, the green
goods operator and the confidence
'spieler. Men who live by their
wits are, as a rule, deserving the
close attention of the police. Gen
orally they exist more by virtue oi
the unsophistication of others than
by tina overpowe,lng ability of them
selves, The opposition to FilleJ
recently formulated is the opposi
tion of gentlemen to cads and of in
telligent purpose to the cunning o
the ignorant. One may be excused
for preferring the dominance in pol
itics of those with whom it is agree
able to the finer instincts to associate
to man or a clique that has th'
taste of the niger dive and the eth
les of the primary slugger. 1t ma.
be that the ignorant are entitled t.
the liberty of their ignorance with
out any restriction, or even criticism
by the intelligent, as some hav
maintained, but without some con
sidsration of the better men AM
better things the drift of commu
nifty would be altogether towar'
savagery and moral anarchy. Th
practical politician has his use an,
place, but when he gives practicall
the supreme place to the dislodg
ment of all higher things, he stand
for the doctrine that might is right
~oc&,oal y1l,k,,s ,,aopo 1,onp.o f.