The Indianapolis journal., 1899-11-09
DISCARDED POLITICIANS.

Tuesdays elections leave several some
what noted politicians of the baser sort so
thoroughly beaten and disabled that it is
not likely they will ever regain any stand
ing as political leaders These repudiated
statesmen were base in different ways one
in one way and one in another, but they ali
earned and deserved the drubbng they
ceived at the hands of the people. One of
these is John r. Mclean, Of Ohio, who
thought he could lift himself into the guber
material chair. by campaign of poodle
and false pretense. With no claim whatever
to the suffrages of the people of that State,
and scarcely possessing legal residence in
it, he seems to have thought that he could
secure an election by the same methods that
secured his nomination. Himself Million
aire. a corruptionist in politics, and boss
Of high degree, he actually had. the audacity
to attack Senator Hanna, who was not him.
self candidate, on all these grounds, and
to insist before the people that they should
put the stamp of their disapproval on Han
naism." as he called it, by electing him Gov
ernor. The people seem to have sized up
Mr.. Mclean pretty accurately and rated
his false pretenses at their proper worth
Whatever Hannaism may mean, they have
preferred IL by an immense majority to Nc
Leanism. MI Mclean has been talked of as
a Democratic candidate for President. and
it was understood that. If elected Governor,
as he fully expected to be, he would take
second place on the ticket with Mr.. Bryan
next year. His overwhelming defeat ends
all such specuations. skaters his carefully
constructed air castle and leaves him dis
carded politician. The people of Ohio have
set good example and done themselves
credit by repudiating him and his methods.
Another repudiated statesman who de-
served the dose he got Is Goebel of Ken
lucky. His political baseness was of a diff
ferent kind from the Ohio mans. Instead
of buying his nomination and trying to Sc
cure his election by money and false pre-
lenses, he stole his nomination and hoped
to make his election sure by means of a
law framed by himself for the express pur-
pose of facilitating frauds and preventing
fair elections. Kentucky is really Demo-
cratic State. and there is every reason to
believe that any clean Democrat of recog-
nized ability, good character and unobjec-
tionable record who had been fairly nomi-
mated would have been elected. Probably
Mr.. Goebel would have been but for the
manner of his nomination and the odious
law to which he has given his name. He
counted on party allegiance and discipline
to elect him In spite of his handicap, but the
result shows he was mistaken. His candi-
dacy added materially To the normal Re-
publican strength i'm the State, and thou
sands of honest Democrats either refused TO
vote for him or voted for the Republican
candidate. His defeat is a distinct triumph
for honest politics and dsqualifies him for
future leadership in Kentucky.
| should include Governor Bushnell and c. l..
Kurtz, of Ohio. Republicans who have
played false TO the party and who secretly
| contributed to McLean's strength. In spite
| of their detection and attempts to control
| their following, Judge Nash is elected by a
much larger plurality than that of Bushnell
| two years ago. The latter was never in
public life until he was elected Governor,
| and will probably never be heard of again.
| Kurtz Is the Ohio member of the Republic
| an national committee since 1896. III the
committee has the power he should be re-
| moved. not so much because he is a dis
| carded politician as because he is political
traitor