The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-14
Singing Rebuke Administered t
Him In the Columns Of the
Kansas City journal.
"PHIIOSOPHY. OF THE FLOP.
Did Not Change His Coat On Moral
.s Grounds-Peacock Pride Actuated
Y; Him to Desert His Friends.

| os0phy or the FLOP 80 q, y y q
The name Of political or other party
does not always signify what that
party really. is. Parties of all kinds
sometimes profess conflicting and con-
t.tradictory opinions without change
OF title and undergo q change OF heart
without change of name. Thus churches
have keptSthelr names and changed
their creeds, and political parties have
exercised all OF On Individual right to
think different ways at different. times.
II a church or q political party has q
right to change its opinions. so GER
tninly has an Individual. II a man
thinks he is sailing under false colors,
1t Is not only his right, but his duty, to
get out from under them. conscien-
|tious men are thus likely ut any time to
feel called on to put or one name and
put on another. 535is ).
Respected For His Honesty.
For making such n change. on strict
| lyl conscientious grounds a man may
not be respected for his intellectual
Istrength-he may be considered oil
wrong In his mental processes--but he
will be respected for his honesty. On
the other. hand. a man who makes such
change because Of personal conve-
nience. or. advantage, commands no re-
spect, either for his Intellectual PROV
css or his moral courage. He is con-
sidered a traitor.
A man who makes such change, II
he would command respect, should
make 1t only for substantial and vital
differences of opinion. Trivial differ
ences will not Justify him. as no party
Is expected to furnish absolutely salts
factory platforms for all Its members.
Substantial agreement is all that can
possibly be expected. In any particu-
lar case OF migration from one party to
another, the circumstances should be
studied carefully before a; verdict. Is
reached. ~, tsF
The worlds conclusion Is that Mar
tin Luther was conscientious In leav-
ing the church Of Rome. and that Car
dlnal Newman was equally consclen-
tious In going Into it. The worlds con-
clusIon Is that Judas was n cur be-
cause he sold Christ for money. and
that Arnold was another because he
went over to the enemies of his coun-
try for selfish reasons. The Republi-
,onr ~ Iya1couT have a1,,-o,,s ha,toy.nd
that Ex-Governor John P. St John
would never have tired Of the Repub-
lIcan party II It had sent him TO the
senate, as he had expected 1t would.
The Republicans Of the nation have al
ways believed that Carl schurz would
never have turned his heels on Re-
publicanism t!r the party had kept up
his diet or official summer plums. II
the evidence Of a genuine separation Of
opinion is ovcrbaianced by the evidence
Of mercenary or other selfish motives.
then in every case the verdict is one
OF d!strust and condemnation.
The Case Of "Web" Davis.
We have in mind as an Illustration,
the case OF Mr.. Webster Davis, Of Mis-
souri,. What does the evidence showP
For long years, Mr.. Davis filled the
whole heavenly arch with his roar for
RepublIcanism. From his cavefnous
lungs we have learned that the propo-
sal to coin silver free at the ratio Of 16
TO Is dishonest proposal; that the
violent disfranchisement OF the negro is
crime; that representation in Con-
grcss. based on negro population which
is not permitted to vote is an outrage;
that q protective tariff policy Is n pro-
per policy for the country. that the
war for the liberation Of Cuba was
holy war: that the Republican pension
policy has been one OF Justice to the
soldiers Of the nation; that In short, the
past achievements and present under
tnIsIngs of the Republicans are such as
to command the admiration and loyal
devotion OF all good citizens. All this
he has spoken and sung in his most
grand operatic fashion hundreds Of
times In all parts Of the country. On
the other hand, with equal volubillty,
he has vouched for. the fact that the
Democratic and Populistic parties were
wrong on every question and rotten to
the core.
K In truth, SO volublc ana so vivid was
Mr.. Davis in his approval OF RepublI-
canism and his condemnation of nll
other parties, that Republican leaders
took him up and gave him place and
power. He enjoyed procession Of Of
ices, and mt Inst arrived at high
place In; Washington. This place he
held until his own lack of good faith
with his associates compelled him to
leave the Interior department. He
might well have been dismissed. but he
wns kindly permitted to resign.
{ Changed His Mind.
Returning from South Africa, where,
under the circumstances, no had no
business to go. he answered to many.
including some OF the editors OF this
paper. only three or four dnys before
the national Democratic convention.
that he would continue to tulle for the
,Bocrs, but also for Mckinley; that he
was tho Presidents friend, and expect
cd to do more for him than any other
campnigner; that he should continue n
Republican to tho end. A little later.