The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-26
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER rs, 1899.
DANGER TO THE PARTY.

The active republican newspapers of
the state have awakened from their
lethargy and are protesting most Wig
orously against the election of a mug
wump and nti-administration candi-
date for speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives. The Spy has declared it's
belief that the republican representa-
tives cannot wisely and consistently
support James J. Myers. The Haver-
hill Gazette is very pronounced in its
opposition to Myers. Yesterday the
Gazette, which cannot, we admit. be
reckoned among those newspapers who
have had relapses into lethargy, got af-
ter the republican machine:
The time has come for plain speak
ing. The 1ncapacity or apathy of those
Who should direct the republican party
in MassachusettsSs leading that party
! slowly but surely on the road to de-
feat It's plurality for governor fell off
from 1896 to 1897 So 600 votes; from 1897
to 1888, it fell off 2000 more, and from
1898 to 1899 $4,000 more,-making a net
loss in plurality in three years of 49,
900 votes. Boston has just given 5000
| plurality for Paine, the largest demo-
purpose of the democratic managers
steadily to increase this plurality until
1t rises to $4,000 or 10000, and overtops,
as of old, the shrinking republican plu-
| rality outside. The republican party
cannot rely much longer on the folly of
the democrats for it's triumphs Already
1t is evident that free silver is to be
eliminated from the democratic pro-
| gram next year. Then the brains of the
| democratic party will return to it and
make it again a most formidable an
| tagonist.
J What are the republican leaders do
ing to meet this program? Are thew
girding themselves for the fray? Not at
all. They are folding their arms and
indulging in a Rip Van Wrinkle sleep,
While republican representatives elect
some through fear of Bennett, which is
entirely groundless, as Bennett is now
| conceded to be out of the race and
others for a smile and a hand-shake-
| pledge themselves to a suave, bland.
everything all-men mugwump-inde-
pendent for speaker of the House. This
man, whose name is Myers, has desert
ed the republican party whenever it
| needed votes. He has aided in its de-
feat in presidential and gubernatorial
elections. Ne is today, and has been for
four years, vice president of the Mas
sachusetts Reform club, an organiZa-
ton which has persistently and viru-
| lently assailed and vilified the cardinal
| principles of the republican party and
its honored leaders. For six years he
| was member of it's executive com
mittee, which brought in report after
report slandering the republican party
and sneering at it's policies.
James j. Myers had not the courage
or was it lack of inclination TO dis
sent from d single one of these reports
and stand up for the party whose ia
vors he now so eagerly solicits. He was
| a member of the executive committee
of the Anti-imperalist league for
months, until the speakership fight be-
| came hot. Then he resigned from the
| executive committee, but remains today
| a member of the league in full stand
ing. In the contest for lieutenant-gov-
| ernor he was on both the Guild and
Bates tickets, and, when elected a dele
gate to the convention, was in acute
distress for days as to how to avoid de-
claring his preference. When relieved
| from this embarrassment by the with
drawal of Guild, he promptly declared
| himself delighted with the success of
Bates. He has trimmed and balanced
and lodged and hedged and wobbled on
every question that has come up He
las not the qualifications for a prcsd-
Ing officer. He is opposed by practically
the entire republican press of the state
and supported by practically the entire
democratic press.
And vet the republican party has not
| leaders far-sighted enough or with vi
tally enough to arouse themselves and
prevent this demoralizing stroke TO the
party The election of such a man to
such post would be an insult to the
men and the press to whom the repub-
hcan party looks year after year for
support. Does it expect these men and
this press to labor day in and day out
10 help build up the party, oftentimes
| IN the midst of hostile influences, mere
ly to make places for men Of such prin-
ciples and character, whose utterances
all the time tend to break the party
down? If it does expect it, we warn 1t
that it is treading on thin ice. The
democrats make no such mistakes
With them the men who are good
enough to plan their victories and bear
the heat and toll Of the day, are good
enough to put on guard when the fight
is over.
| The. principle of the republican party
in Massachusetts in recent years seems
to be that the more man does for it
the more he disqualifies himself for pre-
ferment in it. Republicans and the re-
publican press have labored for it in
season and out, frequently at personal
sacrifice, only to see, after the victory
was won, those who had given aid and
comfort to the enemy, rewarded with
the fruits of victory. Such policy is
gradually bringing the party into the
same condition of dry rot that it was
in when CASTOR was elected in IA. But
Ter in 50. and Russell in 80. Instead of
encouraging individuals and the press
to work for the party with zeal and
keep the organization throbbing with
life and activity, such a policy deadens
every effort and discourages every 10y
al member, if indeed it does not actu-
ally drive him out of the party alto
gether, through sheer disgust.