The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-22


serious blunder would be committed Gd
the United statcs permit our right to
free competition in that market to dc re-
strictcd through the vclAshness Of the
European powers that are reaching out
after tho trade, and, by combination
and enforcement, seeking to monopO.
lie II. &g.', it,N
1t Is against this programme OF the
powers that England has served notice.
ind reasonably expects the moral sup
port OF the United States, whose future
commercial interests will be no less I'M
portnnt, Il indeed II will be less, than
that OF Great Britain herself.
| .lHF
pingree MisappiIes u Famons. uttsrnnee.
In d speech the other day attacking
government by party. and arralgning
the Republican party in particular, Gov
ernor Plngrec. OF Michigan. himself
elected 10 Office BY the Republican party.
did what would have been a strange
thing had 1t come from any other man
than the erratlc Pinsrcc. As part of
his argument against government by
party he quoted one OF tho immortal
sayings, misapplylng II. Of course. OF the
great Lincoln, whose fame as party
man Is known by every school.boy In
the land.
PlnSree referred 10 Llncolns urging
the people highly to resolve that gov
crnment of the people by the people, and
for the people shall not perish from che
earth" This quotation Is now often
made by demagogues In appeals to pre-
JUDGES against the majority party. and
In doing SO for such purpose they COM
nit O sacrilege against the memory of
the great patriot who never intended
that his words should be used in such a
way, but Plngree has capped the eli
max of all the improprietics by using
It as plea in support OF theory which
Is In direct antagonIsm OF government
by the people.
In a comment on this nhsappicat!on
OF Mr.. Lincoln's famous utterance by
Governor Plngree the Chicago Inter-
Ocean aptly inquiries, what is gov
ernment by tho people?" Even Plnsree,
says our contemporary, must admit that
It Is not government by minority. It
Is government by majority, and
hence government by party, On ques-
tion os policy one part of the people
favors one side and another part Of the
people favors the other. each part COM
prlsins party. and the stronger party
wins. Organization only can win and
an organization In the interest OF policy
or principle IS party, by whatever other
name It may be called.
Our Chicago contemporary says, how
ever, that generally there is third part,
weak In brain. strong In vanity, poor
In patriotism, and rich in disgructle-
ment, that stands aloot and cries tina:
each OF the other parties IS corrupt, but
that this third part would be party
were 1t capable OF rising above the leye!
OF faction" This third part repre-
sents such types Of politicians as Pin
gree and few other gentlemen who are
useless FOR anything except us disturb
ing elements to weaken the strong par
ty, representing the majority, and to
strengthen the weaker or minority
party.
The nter-ocean is right when II Points
on: that these types Of politicians, who
are forever railing ct the popular par
ties, tina. represent the power and the
will of the people, are, as q rule more
self-seekins, more regardless of obl!ga-
tone to the people and more corrupt in
the distribution OF patronage than q
leader Of great party dare to be.
a party cannot be great unless It is an
aggregation Of the common people; It
must have the support OF the common
people, or It Is power!css and never can
acquire victory. On the other hand, a
faction Is an aggregation OF q few
shrewd men, selfish in the extreme, with
a small number OF dhpes who are de-
ceived by demagogic and Phar!saical
pretens!ons. Pingree Is such faction
tst and his field Of usefulness Is neces-
sarily limited. We're he competent to rise
above the ordinary in party politics he
would not be factionist. He is driven
to be the latter because among great
party leaders he can not rise above
medlocrity.
Lincoln, whom Plngree impudcntly
assumes to quote in supporter his Hog
teal plea, was not factionlst, and the
erratlc governor prostitutes history when
he points TO him as one. The incident
recalls 10 mind an anecdote of John
Keats, which the 1nter-Ocean publishes
in connection with Pingrees ridiculous
quotation OF Llncoln's words. Keats
once said: Il met q mahogany faced old
ass IN Edinburgh who told me that he
knew Robert Burns and he twaddled
about him for an hour. Finally told
him that he ought TO be kicked for dar-
Ing to let So great name pass his
stupid lips" The application is plain
and will be appreciated by Intelligent