Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-09-14


be forgotten that he was nominated on
a platform which readopted the Chi
cago platform and which enthusias-
tically indorses the great Nebraskan
for president. So good luck to John K.
Mclean, editor, statesman, scholar and
Democrat The chances are that he
win put up the most interesting cam
paign witnessed in Ohio in a quarter
Of century. which is saying a vast
deal, for there is more politics in that
state TO the square foot than in any
other commonwealth in the Union -in-
deed, than in any other portion Of the
civilized world Other states do take
a breathing spell from politics once Ia
awhile. but Ohio never. Nearly ey =
Democratic senator and representative
has been a guest in John L. McLean's
Washington home-nearly every Re
publican senator and representative,
too, for that matter.
Out in Nebraska the opponents OF
McHannaisn have acted with con
summate wisdom by effecting a per
feet fusion, thereby assuring the re-
suit of the election. Bryan was on
the field in person, guiding, infuene-
ing, animating.
Governor Tanners Troubles.
1 wish especially TO call the attention
of Hon John Riley Tanner. governor
of Illinois, to railroad hold up and
robbery which recently occurred at
Lincoln, in that state. suppose that
must be taken and accepted as another
evidence of that boundless Mckinley
Prosperity, with a big, big z, which,
we are Informed, has come upon the
country John Riley has not stopped
the civil war at Pana yet. So he seems
to be playing in hard luck all around.
He still has Uncle Shelby on his hands,
but his sorrows crown of sorrow is
the fact that young Dick Yates, the son
Of old Dick, the great war governor,
has announced his candidacy for the
governorship of Illinois. So John Riley,
in reaching out for Uncle Shelby's
toga, stands to lose the downy berth he
now possesses. If young Dick Is the
campaigner his father was, be will
make it decidedly hot for John Riley,
and your Uncle Shelby is not weeping
| copiously because there is another
Richmond in the gubernatorial field.
If the truth is ever ascertained,
would not be at all surprised if it is
found that your Uncle SheIby's fine
Italian hand is in this race of young
Dick Yates for the goyernorship of II
linois. And John Riley, with all his
wiles and his perfect machine, should
remember that the American people
are a sentimental lot and that there
are thousands of graybeards in Hi
nois who once whooped it up for Dick
Yates pere, and they may take no
ton to transfer their affections and,
what is of far more Importance, their
votes to Dick Yates fills, and then the
| jig would be up with John Riley, and
your Uncle Shelby would smile in a
way that is ehildiike and bland. Real
/ ly it makes precious little difference
whether the Republicans nominate
John Riley Tanner or young Dick
Yates. A Democrat viii be elected, and
another Democrat will snatch your
| Uncle Shelby's toga from his shoul,
ders.
Jehu Bakers Career.
My old and revered friend Hon. Jehu
Baker of Belleville, Ills. is said to be
lying at deaths door. / regret this ex-
ceedingly, for of all the men with
whom / have served in congress l re-
| gard this venerable man as the great
est philosopher. His is a brave heart,
kindly spirit His political career
was decidedly checkered. growing out
Of the fact chiefly, l think that he was
man of convictions. For a generation
he was Republican and stood high
/ in the councils of his party He was
repeatedly elected to congress as 4
/ Republican and served as minister
plenipotentiary and envoy extraordina-
ry to a South American court as Re
! publican. He won national renown iu
1886 by defeating for congress vii
| liam r. Morrison the great tariff re
| former chairman of the great commit
tee on ways and means, author of the
celebrated "horizontal bill" In 1885
/ he was in turn defeated by William s
Forman, who, after serving three
terms. was Cleveland's internal reye
| nue. commissioner Uncle Jehu's last
appearance in congress was in the Fif
| ty-fifth, in which he sat on the Demo
cratic side, having been elected by the
Democratic Populist-Free Silver fusion
in his district. He was a historic, in
teresting and pathetic figure in that
congress. being almost totally blind
but setting the younger and healthier
members a splendid example by tn
fidelity and assiduity with which b,
discharged his congressional duties.
One day he astonished me greatly by
saying: "Clark, have served in con
gress off and on for 20 years. | serv
ed in those congresses called great il
which Randall. Garfield, Cox and Other
distinguished men served. But after
observing this house for months. il
my Judgment, the average of boti
scholarship and ability is higher in The
Fifty-tifsh than in any other congress
that ever served in
william of Canton.
l take particular pleasure in jottins
down this opinion of the veteraI
statesman, especially as the majority
of people look backward to find tn,
golden age In the estimation of many
| people it is always behind us dom
believe any such stuff I'm not muci
stuck on William Mckinley. but l an
glad that l live under his reign rather
than under that of Augustus Caesar
| which has sometimes been called tbs
golden age of Rome. Augustus waS
crafty, smooth, suave, gracious, tact
ful; likewise William of Canton. Au
gustus lasted some 80 years; William
will peter out in four. 1t is so writ
ten, and what's writ is writ Histo
rians say that the reason why Angus
tus succeeded i'll hornswoggling his
generation and in making them believe
| they were free while he was busy riy-
citing their chains was that he affect
ed moderation, prated of liberty and
preserved the forms of the republic
He even had himself elected tribune
annually. Why, bless my stars. ouI
William is copying his ilIustrious mod
| el with great fidelity! He is tactful, he
| Is gracious. he is suave. he is paying
tribute to the sultan of the Sulus, he is
establishing a press censorship, he i,
| the American Gilliamus Augustus. II
| somebody would only kidnaD Mark