The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-11-11
A cowARDLY CAMPAIGN.
Again Apparent in Their
Base Plans.

long hold on the offices. principally be-
cause of the ability of its leaders TO
dodge and to misrepresent the real
issues before the people, and never was
this trait more marked than in the
present campaign.
The party leaders started out TO
base their campaign on the dishonest
claim that the war with Spain was
republican war, that the republicans
in eongresse and the republican presi-
dent alone deserved the credit for its
conduct; and to that end the position
of the de mocrats In congress and the
democratic party as q whole was will
fully and consistently misrepresented.
When the mismanagemen of the war
department officials and of the sons-of-
fathers who held army commissions
under the presidents appointment
made the country rise in mighty pro-
test. the republican leaders dropped
their war issue" in hurry, and since
then have been busy trying TO scare up
something else to take its place.
In New York. where the great fight
is for the state officers, the repub-
licau bosses are doing ali they car TO
escape state issues. II the hope that
they may profit By the great majority
that New York gave the Mckinley
ticket, Plat has given orders that the
republicans must raise the sound
money" cry and try to scare al the ele-
nents that supported Mckinley to sup
- 1x-D =
Grosvenor, who talks through his hat
at the instance OF the administration.
was in New York, ard there he Joined
vociferously In the cry for Sound
money" declaring that this must be
the simon-pure issue Of the campaign.
| This is the same Grosvenor who manu-
featured the war issue" and declared
il the one and only thing to be cor
sidered; but a little thing ike self
reputation doesn't bother the white
haired statesman from the Buckeye
state, fact that was emphasized by
later Developments.
Sound money" is the thing in New
York, where something is needed to
divert attention from the rotten rec
ord Of the republican party in its cor
duct of state affairs; but out in Ohio.
the presidents own state. that great
administration issue would not DO at
all. At least so Grosveuor declared as
soon as he got home. and he has manu-
featured special issue for Ohio cor
sumption.
Out there where the country natural
ly expected that the presidents finan-
cial policy should be strongly defended
by his party. the republicans have put
mp civil service bugaboo and are
lighting it. Grosvenor has announced
that the campaign must be run on the
issue" of the abolition of civil service
or at least its extension so the boys can
have more offices. Speaking of this
action on the part of the Ohio leaders.
the Chicago Tribune. which is one Of
the stanchest republican papers Of the
west, saws:
The republican leaders have showed the
money question on ore side in Order to
bring 10 the front Congressman eros
ve1or's great issue That issue is the over
throw OF the merit system a regards fed
eral employees and the restoration Of the
vfllainous spells system, with himself as
one of the chief managers and benen-
Charles II is no wonder that as the result
of allowing the democrats to work free
silver for all II is worth. without a solitary
effort to expose the frauduleney OF their
demands. and as the result OF advocn ting
the spells system instead OF DISCUSSING the
monetary question. the men resnon Sffte
for that kind of campaigning are afraid
Ohio will go Democrat tic"
But that doesn't lay entirely bare
the dishonesty of this Ohio issue"
The fact is that it is in the power of
the president himself 10 make such
changes in the civil service laws as will
open up TO the republicans almost all
the offices now held by democrats. and
Crosvenor knows better than ANYBODY
that il is the presidents intention. de-
spite his civil service pretensions. to
make the necessary order. Indeed. the
order has already been prepared and
would have been issued some time
since but for the protests of the very
men, like Grosvenor, who are now cry
ing aloud that such changes be made.
These men knew that the order had
been prepared. They had been clam
oring for it, as they are clamoring now.
But when ii became known a few
weeks ago that the PRONUNCIATION of
the order was imminent, they hurried
to the president and urged him to hold
up until after the election. Doubtless
Grosvenor himself was one of those
who saw the president, and whose en-
treaties were largely responsible for
the matter being held up. The ground
on which they put their request was
the practical one that they wanted
TO make lot of promises in this cam
raign, and it would be easier TO make
these promises ''go" than IL would be
II the order opening up the offices had
been promulgated.
For this reason it was held up. There
is no possible occasion for an anti
civil service issue in Ohio or anywhere
else-on the part of the republicans
for the whole matter is in the hands
of the republican president, and his de-
lay in meeting the demands of his
party is due entirely 10 the requests