The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-08
For Political Trading.

stead of horsefiesh. this is his oppor-
tunlty. For the game OF bluff and bar
gain and barter is fairly under way. To
men who believe that good government
Is something other than a name and
that Offices are to be filed in the peo-
ple's interest instead OF being used to
satisfy the needy and the hungry. it is
sorry spectacle. Two political con-
ventions have met and nominated tick
cts, and each one of them should bear
upon II the label. Trading Stamps Re-
ceived Here"
1t 10 the obvious purpose OF the engi-
neers Of the various movements in To-
cal politics to drive as good bargain
as they can with the other fellows The
so-called platforms are the least OF their
concern. They put into these enough OF
resemblance to make place for consol-
idstion or withdrawal as may seem best
in the final division of pelf But the
real genius Of the workers. of the men
who ran the conventions and named the
candidates IL expressed in the selection
Of material for political trading.
This was openly exhibited in the work
OF the unique body that called itself the
'nonpartisan'' convention and sub
mitted itself wholly to the direction OF
Eugene Way. II put up a queer lot OF
candidates; Populists. Single Takers
and any-old- things. but 1t declared
openly that these were for use only in
dickering with rival organizations. Any
or all OF them are to be sacrificed II II
Ia necessary to accomplish some sort of
trade. The main thing is to be in a po-
sition where you have something I o
offer to the other fellow and some osten-
sible reason for an exchange when he
comes around TO talk with you.
The earmarks OF the same policy are
plain In the work of the Democratic
convention that met yesterday There
was not, probably. In the mind OF any
man present the remotest idea OF elect
ing any OF the candidates named for
city offices. The question was the same
as with the ''nonpartisans": what names
would be most useful when IL came TO
the final showdown between the three
elements OF the old fusion aggregation.
and give the Democracy the butt end
OF the bargain Now when the popu-
lists and the Silver Republicans have
gone through the same performance.
the leaders viii be ready to get down to
real business.
or course some Of the nominees know
this. are party 10 Il and get their
| eompensa ton In gratified vanity at hav-
ing their names put before the public
900 candidates for prominent positions.
onscrs are satisfied with the pun tina,
It gives them in certain quarters. There
are still others, a few OF them. who
| are reputable and honorable men. and
| who doubtless think that they We're
/ nominated In earnest If 40. they will
1 know better presently There Is no con-
s!deratlon. az there Is no possible com
! uauntty OF interest save common de-
! sire Of place, among these dtscordRut
elements. They are all playing the same
| game Al are prepared 20 trade
any place on their ticket with any other
organization tina, offers them az much
as they believe they can get That Is
the secret o. & all the current method
Of fusion. that is a shade less scrupui-
| Gus or respectable than the old. Proba-
bly, these gentiemca viii feel ag-
rrioved and humiliAte3 when they learn
that they have been nominated for trad
ms purposes only by the wilier PLAYERS
/ at the game Of politics, but they can
not quarrel seriously with the penalties
Of being found in such exceedingly bad
I COMPANY.
The past years record OF business