The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-15
Patriotism and Integrity.

Political history in the United states
has rarely recorded an instance where
a party was so completely weakened,
discredited and shorn of influence as Is
the Democratic party in the United
States today. Whatever OF showing it
can make is due in great part to COM
binations which it has been able to eff
feet with other factions with which 1t
has, in tradition, no points in common,
and to which it has surrendered the
privilege of naming the platforms on
which campaigns are to be fought. Yet
one thing 1t has not parted with, which
is the insolent assumption of certain OF
its leaders that IT is the particular rep
resentative of the American people
A particularly impudent assertion in
this line was that in a recent speech of
Representative Little. of Arkansas.
when he said: THE forces of patriot
ism and integrity have selected their
leader in advance of the convention,
which action will be ratified on July
a." The peculiar form of patriotism and
integrity exemplifled by the Democratic
minority in congress, of which Mr.. Lit
tie is shining example. is probably
behind Mr.. Bryan's candidacy, as Little
asserts. This form of patriotism con-
sists in lending aid and comfort to the
enemies Of the country now under arms
against It's authority and engaged In
bushwhaeking isolated bands of Ameri-
can soldiers and looting and burning VIII
lagos of their own people; patriotism
which compares the scoundrelly little
adventurer Aguinaldo to Washington,
and accuses Americas great admiral of
having deceived the Filipinos to their
injury, and of lying about 1t afterwards;
a patriotism which is ceaseessly en-
gagged in the attempt to embroiI this
country with other great powers Of the
world. for the sole partisan purpose Of
embarrassing the administration, and
which as ceaselessly and vehemently
opposes every proposition to improve the
military efficiency of the country or 10
place Its finances upon n sound and en-
during foundation for a like reason.
The integrity boosted Of is of the
same order. 1t finds it's foremost public
expression In a proposition to permit the
debtors of the country to pay their cred
itors in debased coin, to which these
same leaders stiil cling, although all
prospect OF success is gone. Where
these same Democrats are in absolute
control OF public affairs. this integrity
is further exemplified by Tammany's
rule in New York. or. as in Kentucky.
by Goebel laws. designed to throw the
protection OF legislation around election
frauds; or In the open, notorious and
boasted OF suppression Of the majority
vote in other Southern states, the sys-
beneficiary. as evinced by his return TO
congress. after receiving but s.415 votes
in the last election held in his district,
If Democratic ideas Of patriotism and
integrity should ever md strong fol-
lowing in this country. there might be
some reason for a pessimlstie view 81
the future. Happily. however, these
terms bear a different meaning 70 the
great majority OF the American people
from what they carry 10 the faction NJ
which MIR. Little Is a representative on
this Coast. at least. Mr.. Little's own
party associates do not hold with him
that patriotism Is synonymous with
treason. or integrity with political ras-
cality. national dishonor and public and
private bad faith.