The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-27

Fraud Once, Fraud Always.

ITodo OuSCp Toho Always
Members OF the crazy quilt combine
are loud In promises Of what they Will
cipal government of the city of Seattle.
This il not a new political maneuver.
II is always tried by any party or col
lection OF parties that desires TO get
control OF affairs. But there never has
been and never will be any value TO
these assurances unless there II behind
them some substantial sincerity and re-
spectablity. How much of either OF
these qualifications entered Into the
spols combination effected by the fu-
sionists can be seen easily by study
Of the recent proceedings which led up
to an agreement for q division OF the
political booty.
TAe combination leaders profess great
honesty OF purpose. but that Is what
they have been doing from the begin
ming. The Democrats professed that 1t
was their intention to hold aloof from
AL alliances tina. are politically debiii-
tating. and once more 10 set the party
on its own bottom. Their purpose was
to have Democratic ticket with a
Democrat at the head OF 1t. How hon
estly that purpose has been followed out
Is shown in the fact that a Populist
has been named as the candidate for
mayor. and the use OF the word Demo
cratic at the head OF the ticket Is, ac-
oording to the official organ OF the COM
bine. "only n matter OF convenience"
This goes 10 show how much real hon.
esty OF purpose there IL in at least one
party to the political trade recently con-
summated
The nonpartisans. too. are eloquent IN
making the avowal that behind their
movement there are only the highest
and best motives; but have their actions
up to the present time been such as to
entitle them 10 the fullest confidence
from the publiog Is there any reason
20 take their reform professions any
more seriously than their original non
partisan pretensIons, which have proved
such a conspicuous delasIong WIZ they
not throw overheard all their reform
IDEAS Just "a they r~pudiated all their
nanpartfran ideas when political ext
sencies made such a move necessary I?
IL the public going to place any conn
dence m men who built mp movement
on principles Of noupartisanship aud
then deserted those principles absolutely
at the behest OF the agents OF duly or
ganiked partiesf n the nonpartisans
could 80 easily lose sight OF the real
spirit Of their original cause. what as
sursnee Is there that they will not quite
as easily forget all about making any
declarations for rsform9 TIP to date the
nonpartisan movement, so far as Il has
progressed. has been one OF the biggest
humbugs recorded IN the history Of rnu.
nIeipai politics. and IL there any reason
10 think q viii not b. as much Of a
farce after election as IL was before
when the candidates or supporters Of
the midnight dieker talk about the re-
forms they viii effect lt Is worth while
10 consider that !, win be Just as easy
aud natural TO repudiate all such prom
Uses as It was 70 obllteTate their separ-
ate platforms ana principles. There was
evidently no sincerity In ali those high
sounding resolutions, and why should
there b. any In these plous avowals In
favor OF reform government II the
factions OF the combine were dishonest
once. why win they not he so alwaySe
II the professions OF last week were re-
pudiated, why win not the professions
OF this week be thrown overboards n
the principles agreed upon in separate
convention were fraud, why should
any confidence be placed in these holy
pretensions which the mlsslliance makes
after the terms OF plumber distribution
have been arranged? IL the parties to