The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-10-12
Now and a Year Ago.

Rogers made strong expansion speech,
and it is now known that he has swal-
lowed his words and is making a Bryan
esque campaign in direct opposition.
Candidates Ronald, Robertson, White
and WinsOr OF the fusion aggregation
have also at various times not more
than a year ago publicly expressed
strong pro.expansiOn views. The Ore
gOnian reads them thusly:
Weakness and dociIity in religion are
admirable traits; in politics they are
often contemplate. They are the out
ward and visible sign of submission to
the lash of the boss. year since the
democratic party leaders in Washington
we've making the woods ring with their
demands for expansion and retention of
the Philippines. Now they have Joined
in the great Bryan yawp about imperial
ism and consent of the governed" No
matter what they said a year ago. No
matter how sound and true their pa
triotic instincts, how fine and fierce their
denunciatiOn of all who would fire on
the flag. They may be American citi-
zens in off years; in campaign times they
must be democrats. That may not ex-
cuse them, but it explains everything.
These remarks are aprOpOs of the
amusing and humliating democratic
situation in the state of Washington.
Candidate Rogers publicly proclaimed
himself an expansionist, and warned his
party against the folly of opposing
successful war. Candidate White de-
nounced the clamor about ''imperialsm"
Sci, III ii
said it was destiny to expand; death not
to expand. Candidate Winsor declared
that consent of the governed" is "a
fallacy." Candidate Robertson would
tolerate no policy that did not main
tain the self-respect of the nation" Ex-
| Candidate Lewis sOlemnly warned the
public that he ''cOuld not act with his
party if it placed itself in opposition to
| the policy of expansion upon which this
country has embarked" Now all these
gentlemen are eating their words as
gracefully as may be. Candidate Rob-
ertsOn is doing more. He is painfully
explaining that his association with the
| dynamiters and murderers of the Occur
| d Alenes was as attorney, and not as
citizen; that his course at the time, re-
markable for its wantOn disrespect of
law and order, end extreme in its bitter
| hostility to all government agents-the
attitude and language OF an anarchist
and dynamiter, indeed-was taken as
| paid counsel of the wild brutes who com
mitted arson and murder to prevent the
mineOwners or anybody else from oper-
ating their mines. AS nominee of his
party he finds fault only with the permit
system. To such diaphanOus devices
has the candidacy OF this specimen Spo-
kane democrat fallen.
The state OF Washington is for expan-
sion. 1t is opposed to the policy of ma
| tiOnal cOwardice and contraction laid
out by the democratic party, and it can
see clearly the fantastic absurdity of the
position assumed by Rogers, Robertson
and Ronald, three Rs who would have
the United States Recant, Retreat and
Run. 1t cannot be that these gentle
men believe what they are saying, or
that they can think the public believes
they believe it. The public is not fool,
and they know it. They simply hope
that on November 6 it will forget that it
is not a fool, and esteem their dema-
gOgic translation as of no consequence.
But will it? Here is what the people,
knowing their own interests, and with
unfalllDg perception OF the drift of
events, will say:
Behold! Comes now an aggregation
OF candidates who declare that what
Bryan says and thinks and will do is the
proper thing for us to indorse A year
ago With one voice they warned US
against the stupidity and folly and dis
loyalty of this course. If they gave
sound advice and uttered the truth
then, they do not now. If they are right
now, they were wrong then. Either
then or now, at one time or the other,
they deliberately urged us to do the
thing they knew we should not do. As
prophets they have deceived, as leaders
they are untrustwOrthy, and as counsel
ors they have condemned themselves.
There is nothing to do but to cast them
out altogether"
The campaign of '96 will long be re-
membered as one in which men broke
the bonds of party ties and lifelong
traditions to join with the republican
party in crushing socialism and defeat
ing financial heresy and dishonor. BRYAN
was defeated by the largest plurality of
votes cast in any previous election ex-
cept that against Greeley in 1872.