The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-25

Every campaign has It's h1mors and
ssery political movement its ear-ccklins
phrase. The more worthless a cause ths
more necessary IS :. 20 catch the untsank-
ing with some cheap and nashy popular
cry. one Of the post ingenious was that
adopted . few years ago by the English
nrewers Il was proposed By the govern
nssnt 70 Increase slightly the tax On malt
instead OF putting II On one or the neres-
ssrtes OF life. The amount OF the tax on
a p.ut O. beer could have been made Up By
another dash OF foam. but Il represented
several thousand dollars 70 the brewers.
and they worked Up quite a popular seEti-
r1ent against the proposed law by pro-
wiling professions with banners On which
was inscribed the patriotic demand:
Would you rob poor man OF his beerr'
It seems almost Incredible that BODY 81
intelligent men could have been caught
By s1ch al absurdsty. but they were In
conscious dupes Of the brewers. they
worked themselves up into the belief that
they were being oppressed: by defeating
the tax they saved thousands OF dollars
annually 70 the brewers. and as the rev.
enue needed was certainly raised, II be-
comes evident that those innocent heroes
paid the tar themselves levied In some
other shape.
In American political history such catch
penny phrases have sometimes proved ef-
fecfive. IL viii be remembered that dur
Ing the anti-siavery agitation, the srgu-
ment OF the Northerner IL favor OF aooli-
ton and equal rights was met by the
scornful inquiry: DO you want niger
70 marry your daughter This was sup
posed to put into concise and forcibie Ian
guage the fearful consequences of reiiev-
Ing this country from the curse which 50
long retarded the development OF the
South
This oharlatanry is an entirely different
matter from those catchy phrases which
often characterize campaigns with mere
good nature, such az '"Tippecanoe and
Tyler, Too" or one 30 familiar IN this part
OF the country a. "Forty-eight Forty or
Fight" to say nothing Of that more recent
and most delustve OF All war-cries: -Four
to that method OF playing upon the preju-
dlces and passions OF the unthinklng which
has characterized demasogery in all ages.
Il has not hesltated TO trine with the best
sentiments of human nature, and many
weIl-neaning man has been drawn into
the cunning schemes Of designing politi-
clans and made parucipator in crimes IN
der the ceiusIon that he was working to
the greater glory Of God"
This campaign has furnished its quota
OF absurdity In this respect, and none has
been Q worse offender than the political
charlatan who Is stirring up the people to
land him in high and lucrative office in
the conviction that by so doing they are
showing their American Independence and
asserting their freedom from "the financial
domination of foreign power" This idea
he runs with variations Up end down the
keys, harping the same tune on every
string, with his foot on the swell pedal,
repeating and reiterating the same phrase
until the ear of the people Is unconsciously
captured and they find themselves hum
ming ,hs refrain from the mere familiar
ity of repetition.
one form OF this phrase has been: "A
nation that Is not able TO adopt its own
financial policy In too impotent to legislate
on any question where the people are con-
cerned." He might as well say that this
nation Is great enough and powerful
enough TO have It's own ocean cable TO
Europe. II IS true that we could construct
and pay out our OWE American cable and
fasten one end on Cape Cod, and then tell
Europe We intend teiegrsphing whether
they took up the other end or not. We
would have the satisfaction OF detysng
Eurooe. but our undertaking would be I'm
possible OF accomplishment
when Great Britain adopts THE metric
system 1t will not be because she Is yield
ing to the domination Of France; It will
be because she Is adopting what has been
discovered 20 be the best system Of meas
uremsnt. England has been unwise in not
adopting the decimal system OF coins. but
she has never refused 70 90 20 on the
ground that she was powerful enough 10
have an independent system, and that 20
aaopt IL would be sn ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
the Domination OF ne United States The
only reason II has not been adopted Is
that the English people hold stubf'orniy TO
customs. and the volume OF money Is now
90 great that the change could not b
erects. without enormous loss.
But these GLIB articles Of the stump
speaker need not De analyzea. It safnces
70 ask voters 70 inquire into the merits CT
the controversy and not permit themselves
20 b. aaxxlsd ard cheated BY theatrical
esVsces ans melo1rsrnatic exc'aHiAiions
which have ss Iit,ls intrinsic virtue as the
irtfescent hnes OF The captivating ba.
elusive bubble.