The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1899-12-01


Between the eminent exponents Of
bossism in America the race has hith.
erto been nip and tuck. When we look
at New York city, with its enthrone-
ment Of Tammany over the protest of
good citizenship, Croker seems a model
for the youth who aspires to civic great
ness. When we see Platt's influence
at Washington and success in the EN-
pire state, we are inclined to think he
is the ablest of them all. When we
read the annals Of the oily and indefati-
gable German, he seems supreme and
and unchallenged. But there is a
helgth of political achievement and a
depth Of civic degradation OF which these
worthless have never dreamed. Quay's
control of Pennsylvania and Pennsyl-
vania's groveling subservience TO Quay
surpass anything hitherto recorded in
the annals Of bossism.
The inexplicable thing about Pennsyl-
vania has always been the disappearing
propensity Of the opposition. Nobody
wants Quay, but nobody opposes him.
The solution of the enigma must have
been known to few at least, but it has
never been revealed. At length the
mystery is explained. Quay is boss not
only of his own party, but ths opposi-
tion. Whatever hope the Pennsylvania
papers have had that this wholesale
infamy OF their state politics might be
covered up, seems now to have been
abandoned. They are turning on the
light. The ballot-boxes are st uffed, TO
be sure But there are remedies for
this in the opposite party. 1t can pro-
cure evidence, bring the guilty 10 justice
and shut off usuiruct from the crime
But this the opposition doesn't do. 1t
is bound to Quay.
CHARGES BALLoTBor FRAUD.
The ballot.box in the precinct OF the
seventh ward in the city of Philadelphia
contained, at the late election, 375 votes.
OF these, 2l5 were fraudulent Republi-
can votes. But no move is made by the
Democrats to punish the perpetrators
at was private enterprise" says the
Public Ledger, ."that caught the men
from Washington engaged to debauch
the ballot in Philadelphia, and so it has
always been. The police have some
times been charged with promoting elec-
tion frauds; they have never been
known to stop them" Yet herein lies
the strength OF Quayism. As the Rec.
ord puts IL: "These stuffed ballot-boxes
made sure the election Of Republican
governors and legislatures in Pennsyl.
vania and keep the state firm in its
place as the foremost stronghold Of Re-
publicanism. The explanation Of the
whole disgraceful business is found in
the Republican Philadelphia Press, in
this remarkable paragraph:
uSome OF the Democratic papers OF
the state think that the Democrats
OF Philadelphia should have known
something about the frauds In
Philadelphia and taken step 70 pre-
vent them In course OF time our
Innocent contemporaries VIII learn
that Democrats are conveniently
fixed to let these frauds be com
nnItted or actively TO participate In
them. The Democratic org amiga
ton In this town Is as much a part
OF the Quay machine as the Quay
henohmen are.
QUAY MAKES DEMOCRATIC PLATFORMS
The peculiar genius Of Quay is not
revealed at its brightest in this Demo
cratic apathy 10 Republican frauds.
Platt or German might have thought OF
that. But he controls even tho utter
ances Of the Democratic platform. AT
his dictation the Democrats make their
policies 80 obnoxious 10 the people that
they fly 10 the Republican ticket as the
onlp escape from mischief and folly.
They opposed protection when Penn
sylyania's industries were unit for IT,
In 1896 they accepted and advocated
Bryan and the Chicago platform aud In
the recent campaign they went out OF
their way 10 eulOgize Bryan as the
"oeerless Democratic national leader"
onay knows that II decent Republicans
and Independents cannot be brought TO
support Quay candidates in any othe'
way. they can be driven 10 support oi
them by causing Democrats 10 persist 10