The Red Cloud chief., 1899-09-29
An Important Election.

lne the minneapolis
(kan) Messenger contains enough
good common sense to admit Of its be.
ing read by everyone:
There is a disposition among all
parties to take but little interest in the
election In of years, when only county
officers are to be elected. They say 1t
makes no difference to them which
ticket is elected when the can iidates
on each are good men and qualified to
fill the offices to which they have been
nominated. This is always a mistake,
and especially 81 in the coming cleo
ton. The lines are being now formed
and the issues joined for the great ma.
tional campaign of 1900. The election
Of this year means more to the people
than any election since 1864, because
of the bearing it will have upon the
presidential election. The past two
years have been eventtul ones in the
nations history. The war with Spain
has ended, but the legitimate fruits OF
that contest have not yet been secured.
We have acquired Porto Rico anu the
Philippines by treaty, but IN the latter
the Tagals are in open rebellion, at.
tempting to wrest the island of Luzon
from us, and are attempting to incite
the inhabitants of other islands to rebel
against the authority OF the United
States. These enemies of their cOun-
try in LuzoD are killing soldiers
and defying our flag.
"This IS the situation on the eve of
the present election. Wherever a re.
publican convention has been held this
year that party has taken n strong and
determined stand for the honor of the
country, the %upholding Of the admins
tration, and standing by u soldiers
and sailors who are defending the flag
and suppressing armed in%surrection.
On the other hand wherever populist
and democratic conventions have been
held, and they are one and the same,
because the candidates of one conven-
ton and party are the candidates of
the other. they have spoken through
their platforms denouncing the gov
eminent, unfolding A%guinaldo and his
horde of Tagal barbarlans in their re.
beliion agains, the United States, and
some conventions of the amalgamated
party have gone even so far in their
disloyalty rs to demand the hauling
down Of the American flag in the Phil.
ippines and the Withdrawing in dis.
grace of our army and navy.
This is the issue in the present cleo.
tion and it will be the issue in the ma.
tional election next year. The men
who are put up on the demo.pop ticket
In this county this year may be good
men, and we do o have one word to
say against their personal characters
or their ability to conduct the affairs Of
the several Offices to which they have
been nominated. 1t is true hat many
of them have for years been seekers
for Office, but that is nothing against
them, and we are not OF those who bo.
lieve that because a man seeks office
he is unfit Tor office and should be
turred down. 1t is a laudable am.
bition aud one for which every man
has II right to strive. But while We say
nothing against the candidates on the
amalgamated ticket in a persanal way,
it is equally true that the candidates
on the republican ticket are in every
way competent and worthy,
"rhe issue then ZONES down, not to
men but to measures. II you vote f)r
n single candidate on the demo.pop.
ulist ticket and help to elect him just
that far do you endorse the assault
which that party has made upon oul
administration and upon our flag in the
Philippines. You must either be fol-
the administration or you must be
against il. You cannot consistently be
for the flag, the suppression Of the re.
bellion in the Philippines and the ad,