Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1897-02-04
The Passing Of Dubois.

legislature has chosen United
States Senator and his name is not
Frederick 4. Dubois. This acton
removes from Idaho politics the
so-called silver champion and
closes his career. In other fields
and under more fortunate circum-
stances he may pluck honor from
the pale-faced moon, or fall heir to
another senatorial toga, but in
Idaho the history of his leadership
is written. 1t cannot he said even
by his most ardent admirers that
he closed his career in blaze of
glory, nor cal he or they cl,im
that he has fallen a martyr to the
great cause in the conflict which
the boy orator is pleased to call
The First Battle. For, while the
defeat of Dubois is direct blow at
the silver cause, his defeat was not
administered because his antago-
nists were the enemies of the white
metal. Sixty-nine of the seventy
members of the present state legis-
lature are followers Of Bryan and
supporters Of the Chicago platform.
The Idaho silver champion then
must look to some other source OF
defeat than that Of opposition to
the cause he represents. His
downfall is due 10 personal antag-
onisms. 1t is evident that Senator
Dubois entered in the last cam
paign laboring under two presump-
tions;-first, that he had a strong
personal following in the state;
second, that free silver would
sweep the state. BY the sacrifice
he made to champion the cause Of
silver he hoped to ride back to the
senate on the high tide Of popular
ity. He failed because he over
estimated his pre-eminence as d
party leader He saw himself an
other Henry NJ. Teller, a popular
leader, silver champion, >ANs
PEUR Ell SANS REpRoCHE, but Mr..
Dubois lost his reckoning. Sena-
tor Teller owes his popularity and
leadership to his eminent ability,
while Senator Dubois is a machine
politician. a creature OF accident.
He has been an organizer and
manipulation of the party machine.
He has been a successful leader,
creating disturbance in the ranks
Of the enemy and fostering strong
personal antagonisms, both in the
ranks of the opposition and within
his own party lines. His bolt from
the ST.. Louis convention gave TO
his enemies the long sought op.
portunity.
Whatever advantage he might
have gained by the popularity of
free silver, was lost to him by the
other radical and revolutionary
planks Of the Chicago platform,
round which he was forced to rally.
Starting out, he flung this banner
to the breeze, II am as good re-
publican as ever I was" Free
silver and protection, not one but
both" but when by force of cir.
cumstances he aligned himself
with the followers of Bryan he
changed his motto to read so: II
am now a democrat. His FIRST
position was untenable; it alienated
from him the silver forces that he
hoped to rally to his support. His
second position lost him prestige in
his own party. and caused him to
lose control of the party organiza-
ton.
Failing to capture the conven-
tons through manipulation of
party machinery, he entered che
field as a free lance, leading for
lorn hope. flying the banner Of dis
tress and appealing to the people
to sustain his position. He made
a desperate fight and retained re.
spectacle number of the old guard
to rally on the field Of his Waterloo.
He goes down to defeat the victim
of misplaced confidence. He saw
in himselfthe one great champion
Of one great cause. He misj ,dged
the spirit OF the times; he mis-,
judged his own ability. The great
party that honored him rides