The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1899-09-08
MAN OF THE MACHINES.
McKinley IL Wanted by the Profess
sional Politicians and
Pap Suckers.


They want Mckinley. He has given
them their hearts desire to its full
measure. In every state their machine
is his. They have been given the Of
fees and in return they will give him
delegations at the national convention.
Pretty much everything the administra-
tion could lay its hands on has been
turned into provender for the bosses
end put into their crib for them to
MUNICH at their leisure.
The first scramble was for Alaska.
It's slender yield of patronage was
snapped up in the twinkling of an eye,
and the result is a national scandal.
Then the wolves howled for more.
The Spanish war was their opportu-
nifty. Did they overlook it? Not they.
They redoubled their cries. And they
were heard. The army was turned over
to them. .Algers, Eagans, Heckers, Duff
fields, Biaines, Brices, Quays, Mitchells,
Platts had their sway, and had it as
long as the offices held out.
Next there was the census. Politi-
clans demanded these places, and to ask
was to receive. No sooner said than
done. The necessary qualification,
Merriam candidly said, was pull"
So there is no doubt whom the pol
iticians want. They want Mckinley.
Theirs he is now, theirs he will be next
time, if elected. For him delegates are
already selected in many states. For
him the federal brigade" everywhere
is girding on its armor, preparing to
raise assessments and pack conventions
as in the good old days of "pernicious
activity"
But how about the people? They
ought to be stronger to-day than they
were four years ago. Then they forced
Mckinley on unwilling bosses, because
they believed in him. His identified
ton with high tariff had persuaded
them he was a fighter. They loved him
for the free trade enemies he had made.
Powerful enough then to prevail over
the bosses who opposed him, are they
powerlessn now to prevail over the bosses
who have combined with him? Then
they loved him for fighter, now they
distrust him for shifty opportunist.
If the head of the American people has
not been sobered by the worldwide re-
sponsibilities into which the Spanish
war has thrust us, if its heart has not
been ennobled at the sight of its best
blood freely and heroically shed on
foreign soil, then it is to be despaired of.
The indirection of McKinley's treat
ment of Alger, the Ubiquitous conse-
quences of his equivocal course in max
ing war in the Philippines, have I'M
deceived many who have been believ-
ers in the president. They show his
weakness of conviction, his desire to
placate populism and "anti-imperial-
ism," his want of conception of states
manship except in the terms of political
intrigues.
No one need delude himself with the
false hope that these incontestable
truths can be kept from general knowl-
edge or successfully denied before the
people. They can be resisted, and, we
believe, successfully resisted, if Bryan
is nominated against him. But there
is time now to escape the necessity of
an unenviable and difficult position.
Will the people take heart, or will
they remain supine under the admins
tration's alliance with the spoilsmen?
Of one thing they may be assured-they
need not be deferred through fear of the
compact's irrefragability. Rats do not
desert the sinking ship with half the
CELEBRITY the bosses will show in de-
sertion of their whilom ally once they
are convinced of his unpopularity.
viii senator or collector forsake
the man who has given him his every
demand, once he is persuaded he can
ally himself with stronger candidate?
Ha! Will duck swim? Will cat eat
cream?-Portland Oregonian (Rep.).