Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-09-29
POLITICAL REVIEW OF THE WEEK.

When well known newspaper man
In Columbus. o.. gave out a state
ment some years ago. to the effect that
Hon. III. G. Smith OF the Cleveland Ga
Sette had In a public speech referred
TO the flag OF his country as a dirty
tag." that gentleman stood on his head
and tried to spit backward, and In his
lucid intervals hurled several kinds Of
hdjectives at his enemies and made
noise enough with his pen and mouth
for 16 men OF his size.
Ordinarily little thing like that
would have been passed by In silence.
but it SO happened that Mr.. Smith was
candidate for Office, and IL he did
not succeed in giving the lie to his ac-
eusers and in proving that he Is an ar
dent lover of Old Glory 1t was not his
fault. Nobody with an ounce of brains
paid any attention to the charge: no
body cared rap whether he had abus-
ed the flag or praised it, for they well
knew that nothing that Mr.. Smith or
anybody else could say could detract
one iota from it. But Mr.. Smith SEEM
ed to be Of opinion that the statement
evidently made in spirit Of raillery
was an attack on his patriotism. and
he seems to have thrown a tit three
times day until the day Of his cleo
ton to the legislature of Ohio. Since
then he has been indicating himself
In his paper. and roasting every other
fellow who has said anything against
the administration.
What boots it If Mr.. Fortune did
criticise President McKinley2 Is he
not now good administration Repub-
hcan? Isn't he doing as much or more
than Air. Smith is doing to secure the
reelection OF the preside.t? Is Mr..
Fortune a paramount issue In this
campaign? He is not a candidate for
any Office, big or little, but Just a
plain, aggressive Republican, with
views which he Is not afraid TO ex-
press, and he'd be a big fool if he
didn't change his opinions Of men and
things occasionally. If Mr.. Smith IS
going to set himself up as censor of
the political morals of his fellows and
draw the deadly parallel on all Repub-
lcans, he'll find lots OF them who
have said things equally as bad as he
has said about the president and the
dag In the heat OF passion and their
excess Of zeal, which they are now
willing to forget in the interest of par
ty harmony. Personal attacks on indi-
viduai Republicans do not show good
Judgment. wisdom or common sense.
Who cares what any man said or did
ten months or ten years ago? "wise
men change often, fools never" The
paramount question is, What does he
say or believe NOW? The eternal now
Is worth a thousand yesterdays. Let
Mr.. Smith pull himself together and
take aim at the common enemy-the
Democratic party. There is nothing to
be gained In fighting Republicans.
The Hon. John b. Stanchfeld, the
Democratic nominee for governor of
New York, is SUBSTANTIALLY licked.
His votes In the legislature against the
labor interests and his speeches In ia
yor or expansion, section OF one OF
which Is quoted in the New York Sun
or Sept. 13, shows him to be one OF
those elastic and accommodating
statesmen who are not averse TO being
on both sides of any question. His
speech Of Feb. II. 1899, wherein he
indorses the policy of this administra-
ton in the Philippines. Porto Rico and
Cuba, is "a good enough Morgan" to
elect the entire Republican state ticket
this year and give 1t few votes to
spare.
Manifestly Mr.. Stanchfield is not the
kind OF a Democrat who is likely TO
rally around him the dyed In the wool
brethren OF his political faith, for his
views are decidedly out OF harmony
with theirs on the question OF expan-
sion.
Mr.. Stanchheld's services may be
needed after Nov. 6 to stanch the
wounds which these brethren will In
fict upon each other in the mix I'D
scheduled to eventuate at any time
during the campaign. "How pleasant
1t Is for brethren to dwell together In
Tammanyl
The platform adopted at Saratoga
by the Democratic convention among
other things declares In favor OF gov
eminent of the people. by the people,
and for the people. It reads very
smoothly in spots and Is plausible
enough in its way. But we cannot
overlook the fact that it is a huge joEe
perpetrated with malign intent
If chain is no stronger than its
weakest part, the Democratic party of
New York and of the nation is no
stronger than the weak and corrupt
branches OF that party which now dis
grace 1T as party In every southern
state by its obstinate and arbitrary re-