The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-05-23
as no THE oINDEPENTIsM.,


Western and Southern Democrats
will name the ticket and Tammany
will support it," remarks the Spring
field Republican, referring to the cam.
paign OF next year. The statement is
absolutely true as it stands but the
Republican seems to intend il as a
sneer at Tammany for its lack Of inde~
pendence.
Well, there are various sorts Of in.
dependence. Tammany, for instance,
is independent enough TO be Demo
cratic at all times and under all cir
cumstauees; ii is just as Democratic
after defeat as il is after victory; and
this sort Of independence moans some
thing But there is another kind Of
independence which may mean much
or little according to the view one
takes of IL.
The Republican affords us a very
lively example of the independence
which from the day Carl Schurz began
to connect himself frat with one par
ty and then another, has been prac.
tised by cotere Of public men and
prominent citizens II they have not
found as much profit in IL as Schurz
they have at least attracted attenti>n
and have earned distinctive tit'e.
They are designated as mugwumps
and find great pleasure in the distiuc
tion. The Republican is as prominent
as any OF them, and is perhaps louder
in its manifestations OF independence
than any OF the newspapers marked in
its category.
The Republican is fereely, sayagely
independent during those years when
the zeal and earnestness ars not put
TO final test Of an election. But
when the campaign begins TO draw
near the editor puts on a new suit OF
clothes, changes his pen and ink and
proceeds 10 draw nearer and nearer TO
tie heayiug and expeetant bosom Of
the Republican party And however
shy and bAshful his advances may be
he is finally found there. smiling as
sweetly as il he had never denounced
his party as a trolop OF the most de-
testAble stripe
Take the present situation as an ex.
ample The Republican has been de-
elaring for months aud still declares
that the Republican party is violating
fundamental principle Of our institu. |
tions In the war it is making on the
Filipinos; that the doctrine Of imper- /
ialism or expansion is ruinous; and |
that the accomplishment Of the AIMS
OF its party in the Philippines win
mark step in the decay OF reuubl- |
can government. Not a day has gone /
by since the Philippine question arose
that the Republican, In the exercise
OF its independence, has not denounc-
ed the whole scheme from beginning
70 end, devoting long columns Of edi
toriai matter 10 the subject aud sup
plementing these by copious extracts
from speeches, letters and arguments |
A stranger "a the devices of inde
Pendehtisn, as praeticed in New Eng |
land and elsewhere in this country, |
would be.ready to make AFFIDAVIT that
the Republican would never be able /
hereafte.' 70 give the Republican party |
its sanetion and support, or aid 1t in
furthering aud completing the designs
now afoot in the Philippines Yet we
who have been witnesses Of such exhi. |
billions Of independence on many occa-
sions know that such concentrations
amount 70 nothing aud mean nothing; |
tine Republican leaders know Il; the
whole country knows IL. The political
conscience Of New England, which this
professional iudegendentism is sup.
posed TO represent, Is very active in
on years. II goes up and down utter
ing It's plaiDtiye cries, its wild lamen-