Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-06-28

A Hard Knock For joe CannOn-Mr.
Bryan's Running Mate-Bynum Gets
Another job Governor Mount
Shields Taylor.
Especial washington Letter.l
Democrats are getting together ev-
erywhere. have positive and peculiar
evidence of that in the circulation of
these letters. When began them two
years and a half ago, discovered that
a plain, unfrilled Democrat such as
am could not express a blunt. unequiv-
ocal opinion upon any phase of current
politics without offending some Demo-
cratic tenderfoot somewhere. but |
kept ON expressing Democratic opin-
ions without hedging or double dealing
or mental reservation until the present
writing and shall continue TO do so as
long as l write or speak at all. For the
last year the letters have been growing
in circulation until now they are read
by more people than read any metro
politan daily IN the land, which goes to
show that Democrats are getting to-
gether and girdlng up their loins for
contest the most important in the his
tory of the American republic, for it is
a contest to determine whether the re-
public shall live.
Democratic Prospects Bright.
But while Democratic prospects are
improving daily Republican affairs are
daily getting into a worse condition.
At present the situation in which they
find themselves may be aptly described
as confusion worse confounded" Dis
asters and scandals are crowding upon
the G. o. P. so rapidly that 1t requires
a lightning calculator to keep tab on
the changes which it finds itself COM
PEELED to make. For instance, only
few moons ago my brilliant and amia-
BILE friend Postmaster General Smith
Of Philadelphia was a prime favorite
for the vice presidential nomination.
Now, presto change, he is in fix to
exclaim with the poet
II so soon Pm done for,
What the deuce was / begun fort
because the Philadelphia Republicans
are passing resolutions asking him to
resign his cabinet portfolio by reason
of the Cuban scandals. When any
thing gets too bad for the Republican
ballot box suffers, repeaters and heel
ers, it must be awful-awful- awful
awfully awful. VIII General Smith
resign? Not much. No Republican
was ever known to let loose of the pub
lie teat except under pressure and pres
sure Of the hardest and most irresisti-
Bile sort at that Take General Russell
A. Alger of Michigan, late secretary of
war, as an example. He was notori-
ously unfit for the position. His army
record was q disgrace. His appoint
ment was an insult and humiliation to
every brave old soldier in the land. He
was generally considered incompetent.
His department reehed with scandal
and was odoriferous with rottenness.
During the Spanish war his worthless
favorites were showed to the front and
officers with splendid records and of
approved capacity crowded To ttl..e t..ee rear.
Nothing but the incapacity of the
Spaniards saved us from a great disas-
ter. Soldiers wanted Alger to resign.
Nine -tenths of the American people
wanted him to resign, but he cared
about as much for the peltings of pub
lie opinion as duck would care for a
gentle April shower falling on his
back SO he held on with the tenacity
of a swapping turtle until Mckinley in
self dafpnSp forced him ont
Caught In Bad Company.
1t is the same with all the rest. Ev
cry honest man in the land proud of
his country and jealous of its honor
believes that Lyman ]. Gage, secretary
of the treasury. ought to be impeached
by reason of his dealings with Hep
burn and his New York bank. but Ly-
man will never resign until Mckinley
forces him to go in order to save him
self.
The Philadelphia Republicans are
merely squandering their energies in
passing resolutions asking Postmaster
General Smith to resign. Like the Bos-
ton transcendentalists, they are seek
ing the unattainable. They are snug
Cling up TO the impossible.
Individually l do not believe that
General Smith has either committed
any crime or winked at it in Others
He is a most agreeable gentleman, a
brilliant orator Like Old Dog Tray,
he has been caught in bad company.
Any Republican company is bad from
a political standpoint, but General
Smith got into even worse company
than usual, even for Republican, and
he will have to grin and bear the un-
happy consequences.
1t is sad to reflect on the result of
his going into the MeHanna cabinet.
He was the editor in chief Of great
metropolitan daily, the Philadelphia
Press. and personally popular with the
top notchers in the editorial fraternity
as well as with the rank and file of
lesser editors His accession to the
cabinet was hailed with delight. His
future seemed bright indeed. Now
Philadelphia Republicans ask him to
resign. Virgil was right when he said,
"Facilis descensus averno easy the
road to hell That was general state
ment Of great truth. If he We're liv-
ing now, he would be more specific and
say, ''The easiest road to ruin is to be
attached to the McHanna administra-
tiony'
Hanna BADLY Scared.
Mark Hanna, Notwithstanding all his
buster and swagger. is badly scared.
He is working and hiring others to
work yes. hiring is the proper word
like beavers. have 1t from perfect
ly reliable source that Mark has hired
two slick agents to organize and spy
out the situation in every county in ev-
cry state which is not certainly and
overwhelmingly Democratic. They
have been busy at this job ever since
February. They of course do not 60
about announcing themselves as Marks
crimps, but they assume the character
Of agents for some article or other
any old thing win do and TINS warn