The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-21

Mors than - years ago Rishcn Hcoker
n.aae this quaint observation: He that
Eoesh abou. 70 persuade multitude that
they are rot as web governed ~ they
ought to be shall, never want attentive
ana favorable hearers" Ii will b no
ticed tha, be makes no comment upon the
quality of government. whether ii be
good or had that il under discussion BY
the agstator but simply ard pointediy
says he shall never want attensive and
favorable heare-' Tho world. in this
respect. has not altered much in al. the
years since Bishop Hooker wrote his
Ecclesiastical Polisy,' although govern
men,s have changed much and their
growth has ever been In the direction Of
greater individual liberty. The people Of
the United States ara living under the
most liberal form Of government ever
devised by man, and yet there are any
number Of men going about To persuade
the multitude that they are not well gov
egned
The Popu,isss are continually going
the rest Of the world thas they are living
under the worst government, ever devised.
and we; they do not appear 10 know how
10 improve il. Whenever the people have
been persuaded to try their plans for bet
ter government they have soon learned
that they were in the hands OF a band
OF experimenterS. instead Of experienced
ined Tue Sole stock in trade of the
Populsts Is calamity howl and 70 charge
their opponents with AL manner OF poiiti-
cal corruption. The people are getting
tired OF them. Prosperity is here. and
the days Of the Populists are numbered.
We notice tina. Col Lewis has been
writing letters TO his friends. in which
he more than iutimates that the govern
meat is no better than il should be. He
tells narrowing tales OF the labor he has
undergone as inspector OF supplies. some
of which he has had to condemn, and
darkiy hints that the government. repre-
scented by high officials. Is hand and glove
with these dishonest contractors. To an
observer. it would appear that the colonel
Is a bit inconsistent. He was appointed
inspector by the government for the ex-
press purpose of doing just wha, he says
he has been doing-retecting supplies that
were not up TO the required standard. 1,
was his duty TO reject the bad and accept
the good. Tha; is what government
inspector is hired for. He writes: There
are cases in which I have been trying to
prevent thieves from plurdering OF starv-
Ing the men. getting myself abused by ev-
cry contractor who has tried TO play in
as they express it, with yenal and ac-
cessble government agent" Col. Lewis
Is an agent OF the government. and II any
contractor attempted 10 bribe him he
should report the circumstances to the
proper department rather than to write
the details 10 his friends. We hope he
succeeded in his efforts to "preven:
thieves from plundering and starving the
men," which is exactly what he was sent
to Newport News TO do. There was
never II war carried on by any nation.
civilized or uncivilized, when dishonest
government, and inspectors are appointed
by the government for the purpose OF ex-
posing and preventing these frauds.
We fear the colonel Is merely preparing
himself 10 so about persuading his Popu-
list constituents that they not as we'll
governed they should be. AS usual,
he vii. find them prepared to believe any
fairy tale he may have 10 tell without
question or investigation. This is the
Popul!si way OF doing business. Ii the
charges are strong, never mind the facts.
The more absurd they are the less likeli-
hood that any one in the Populist party
Will inquire about their truth. The
gifted colone,-inspector VIII not find his
audiences go large as they were two years
ago. Strange as 1t may appear. many
Of the Populists and Silver Republicans
have begun to think. ard whenever this
phenomenon occurs there Is a thinning
out OF tne ranks OF the fusionists
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