New-York tribune., 1900-10-29
LIGHTNING CHANGE ARTISTS.

The lightning change artists have the stage.
There is a fine array of them. all the way from
the big stars down to the insignificant members
of the chorus. One of the latest to make his
bow is McCarren, Senator Patrick H. McCarren,
Of Brooklyn. A few moments ago this favOrite
and justly admired entertainer of the public
declared: II am an expansionist. The Demo
"cratic party, to be true to its principles, can
mot be an anti-expansionist party. Any
body with a head the size of a pin wouldn't
have put 10 to 1 plank in the Democratic
platform" Presto! Change And now McCar-
ren is campaigning against expansion and for
16 to 1, and wants to bet good money that the
man who forced the 16 to 1 plank into the
Democratic platform, and therefore hasn't a
head the size of pin, will carry Kings County
and be elected President of the United States!
But the versatile McCarren is not the only
one. Another artist of more prominence, whose
name is put in bigger type in the advertise
ments and on the playbill, is John B. Stanch-
field, of Elmira. The last time before this when
he came down the centre Of the stage he was an
ardent expansionist. 1t was right to take all we
bad taken and it was right to hold fast thereto
And now, behold! deft pirouette, and he
poses as the great original contractionist, whose
motto is Wherever you see the American flag
raised pull it right down"
A greater performer still, with name on the
posters in still bigger capitals, is Richard Croker
Prophet of Tammany and CZar of Manhattan
He, too, q moment ago, was a most rampageous
expansionist. His natural tendencies have ever
been toward acquisition Is it not written In
the book of the law of st. Tammany that what
soever can be lifted shall be lifted? The only
criticism he would then pass upon the expan-
s1onist policy was that it had not taken in
enough and was not holding it tightly enough.
Down. Left! Up! And now behold him again
before the footlights, the consummate flower of
anti-expansionism, the type and model of
National self-abnegationI
Finally, the supreme artist of all, the veritabe
prim' uomo assoluto of this distinguished troupe,
William Jennings Bryan. Behold him, mo-
ment back, in martial gear. breathing out war
and slaughter, ensting and equipping armies
for conquering and for conquest and crying
aloud meanwhile that peace and war life and
death, and all else, were mere ephemeral trifes
conTasted with the one paramount and eternal
issue of free silver at 16 to + But squeak!
squeak! go the fddles; tOOtle-tootle the flute;
boom! boom! the big bass drum-the limelght
changes from CORY red to pastoral green, and
the Friend Of the Peepul frowns upon militar-
ism, abhors expansion as the very abomination
Of desolation, and would have the world believe
he has forgotten there ever was such an issue
as 16 to 1.
How earnestly they seem to play their parts!
How agile in their changes and deft in trans
formations! One might almost imagine they are
really in earnest and mean what they say. But
memory goes back at least five minutes The
spectators recall the different parts these same
performers played before. And the inevitable
conviction comes that these present parts are
being played only until after election. Then it
will be Prestol Change! again for whatever
guise will best serve the predatory purpose of
the hour