Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-04-16
uNMAsKING A PATHE &c FRAUD

UNMASKING A PATHE nc FRAUD.
What a pltiful figure stands re
veaIed before the eyes Of the world by
SENATOR ThurstOn Of Nebraska,
after ii Is disclosed that LIS great
speech on the horrors Of SPANISH
mlsrule 70 Cuba was deliyeSedrin u e
interest, not " Justice and humanity
but OF. a sensational newspaper syDdi-
cate, and that his trip to Cuba had
been arranged by the "Yellow" Jour-
nal, was mere advertisement Of
himself as the biggest political
mountebank at large. He seems to
be the BrOwnell OF the national sen
ate aud his message TO the world,
the last request OF one whose lips are
now sealed in death" was the great
est exhibition Of monumental bad
taste ever made at the expense Of
national patriotism. The west Is not
alone In this exhibition Of senatorial
bread winning, as Galllnger Of New
Hampshire had sold himself to the
same syndicate 10 deliver "patriOtic
utterance" A letter TO an eastern
paper had this rebuke:
but although GalliDger's exhibition
was In all conscience bad enough.
Thurston Out-heroded even that Of
HerOd. The later's wife died sud-
denly before the "TRIP was oyer. Great
Sympathy was felt for him, and every.
body was willing 10 draw veil over
the incident, In respect To his bereaYe-
ment. But he himself rudely tore IL
aside. He turned from his wife's
grave TO seDd telegram TO Washing
ton announcing that he would make
a speech in the senate as soon as he
could reach the capital In the light
Of what that speech contained, his
telegram can only be interpreted as an
invitation 10 the public TO ''come and
see me mourn" The pathos Of that
speech, In which he kept Juggling In
references to his loss and to his grief;
every circumstance, in short, In con-
nectlon with its preparation and its
delivery, are referred TO by all but
three or four OF his colleagues as fur
nlshlng sickening exhibition OF poor
taste and Of lack Of the most prlmi-
tive feeling OF refinement. Some
there evidently were 10 those crowded,
callous galleries, who believe his emo
tion spontaneous. These did not
know that the speech had been studl-
Ously prepared, and had been 10 cold
type for more than IL hours.
The press OF our country must feel
like apoligizing to its readers for
working on the feelings Of its readers
In publishing columns Of Thurstnns's
speech when they realize that 1t was
manufactured for the occasion aud
that he VAS making merchandise OF
his bereavement. II also reveals what |
a low type OF politicians haye forged
to the front in the era Of "commercal
expansion and at the apex Of which
stands what is graphically termed
"MarK Ilannalsm,n
This man Thurston is holding a
seat In the senate which he as good as
stole. A Republican legislature elec-
ted on silver platform slipped him
into the senate under corporation In
huence aud he has been the sleek
tool and moCthpiece OF the goldbug
ever snce. We rejoice
that he has disgraced them. We can
not but think that no woman in the
United States senate, II one ever
lakes a seat there, would ever make
such an ass Of herself as Thurston has.
II she spoke for Cuba II would be
from the honest feelings OF her :heaTt
and she would have the good breeding !
10 cot thrust herself nor her bereaye-
ment upon the public In manner so
unoecoming. not 10 say outrageously
coarse. .
AN IEsuRnp FINGER. Mari Ander.