The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-08
THE INFERIORITY OF PRESENT
PARTY LEADERS.

When professional politicians fall ont
and expose the dirty linen of their party
contemporaries and competitors, honest
politicians get their dues or that should
be the result if we are allowed TO para
phrase the old adagc Of "when thieves
fall out honest men get their dues The
dispatches published yesterday in The
Statesman were flush with the billings
gate of politicians directed at each other.
Foremost in dignity if there can be any
dignity in such thing, was the fierce
personal controversy between Senator
McLauren of South Carolina and EX-
Senator Irby of that state. 1t occurred
at convention of South Carolina demo-
Gratis for the purpose of nominating a
senator to fill Senator McLauren's place.
Ex-senator Irby took the floor after
Senator McLauren made Il speech, and
denounced the latter with all the in
vectivc of which he was capable, and
the two were prevented from engaging in
a fisticuff only by the prompt interven-
ton Of friends.
We can not imagine that such disgrace
full scenes could have occurred in Il con
vention of South Carolina democrats in
the days of the Calhouns, the Barnhams
and the Rhetts of that state, and this
scene goes to show how far the profess
sion of politics has lowered the tone of
South Carolina democrats, when such
men as Tillman, McLaurcn and Irby can
represent that former gallant state in
the United States senate. But the demo-
cratic party is not peculiar in this respect.
The populist convention at Nashville,
Tenn, was even more disgraceful in its
proceeding than the democratic conven-
ton Of South Carolina. Mr.. Mcdowell
of Union City referred to Mr.. Lindsey
Of Nashville, whose whiskcrs are red
as "a redheaded sap sucker" While Mr.
Lindsey retorted in the choicest cxpe-
tiyes of the iishwivcs, that Mcdowell was
"a mullet headed buzzard" who had sold
the populist party of Tennessee to the
republicans every chance he got" The
populist pugilists were more successful
than the democrats, however, in getting
ih'V "a hbh't iul hNI'oNtll UOuIltu lIt
stand and trapped Lindsey over the
head with cane" Lindsey returning
the blow with interest, and both men
clinched, but they were separated.
This is indeed Il shamcfully disgrace
full condition of affairs, but nothing more
than is to be expected when second class
men have come to the front in all poll
teal parties, and when such men are
bending all their chicanery and under
handed influences to use political parties
for their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and
emolument, and we may expect con-
slant repetition of such scenes until the
people-the best men in all political
parties-rise in their might and rclegate
such men to the obscurity to which they
belong, by reason of their sefishness,
want of patriotism and general incom-
potency. The control of political parties
by such men is not confined to any one
political party, but is quite as notable
in the republican party as in the demo.
cratic and populist parties.
What the country is sorely in need of
at present is men of strong character and
intellects, who are willing to serve their
respective political parties for the good
OF the country-patriotic men who are
more concerned about the adoption of the
best political doctrines advocated by each
party, because in such principles or
doctrines they believe the interest of the
country would be best subserved Not
men who for the sake of office will ad-
vocate any principle they think most
popular.