The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-10-20
A soldier ofFor,une.


Mr.. Lind is confessedly in painful
ly nebulous condition of incertitude a7
to what he is aud where he is in the
world of politics. He says Of himself:
81 have not been Populist and can
not say that have become Popullst
To be frank with you, my friends, l
do know that I have any party.
Pe,'J APPS it might be said of me that L
afn u political orphan" So that he
appears to be one of tn ose wandering
comets which belong to no planetary
system, and have gone off roaming
through the voids Of space, through
the eccentric orbits of their own. Like
comet, his politics are plainly all
VapOr, spread out thin over a. vast
eXpAnse OF caudaI vcrbosity streaming
behind one little pinhead nucleus-free
silVer-but with no logical relation to
it. Like a comet, too, his brief peri
ode appearance above the politica al
horizon every two years to threaten
earth with famine, plague and war, "
may be predicted with the same, GER
tainty that the nebulOus portent will
in a few days, vanish harmlessly
into obscurity.
Since he has cut loose from the Re-
publican party, his refusal to be
known as either a Democrat or POpu-
list-his Reputation of both parties
while accepting their joint nomination
for the highest office in the state-is at
least a creditable evidence that he has
enough self-respect to be ashamed of
the bad company he is keeping. But
he is not less a Populist or a Demo-
crat or both, for besmirching with
this public exhibition of his contempt
his fusion supporters, under whose
banner he has enlisted as mercenary
soldier of fortune. And it is because
he is neitherf fish, flesh nor fowl in poll
tics; because he is by his own acknowl-
edgement. a soldier of fortune, owning
allegiance to no cause, but ready to
fight for any party or any cause which
buys his services with the promised
rewards of a high Office, that his posi-
ton in this campaign is not a credit
able one. Long identified with the Re.
publican party of the state, and con-
sp icuous as one of it's most jealous
champions and defenders SO long as
he held or had reason to hope for Of
flee at it's hands, when he ceased to be
it's beneficiary he was ready, two years
ago as now, to offer his services to
it's enemivs for a large contingent fee
in the shape of the governorship if he
could get it. With the idea that it will
help him to get it, he is now playing
the role of the accuser and defamer OF
his old political partners. Like all
renegades, he surpasses all his new
associates in the mallgnancy with
which hesturns upon his former ones.
He goes far beyond the most reckless
extravaganza of Democratic denuncia-
tion in charging that corruption and
dishonesty and shameless disregard
of the interests of the people have
characterized Republican rule ever
since that party came into power ir
this state, aud that these vices have
permeated Republican legislatures
and every responsible department Of
the state government. Ifthese charges
are true, then it is true also that with
full knowledge of all the facts he
gave utterance to no protest against
the acts which he now holds up to con-
demnation. And if the Republican
party was guilty of the misdeeds
which he now alleges, he was plainly
partner..and accomplice of it's wrong
doing. He effects to despise his new
associates who have put him at the
head of the ticket. The result OF the
election will probably make it evident
that they reciprocate his contempt. -
Pioneer Press.
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