Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-07-18
Funny Isn't Ftp


1t is really amusing as we'll as a
little aggravating to read in the pa .
pers these hot days when the ther-8
mometer indicates 100 in the shade
a long aud labored article advoca-
ting the claims Of some man to the.
Presidency! To think that any
man, no difference to what party
he may belong, should be able to
write an article, advocating the po-
litical claims of any man, no diff
ference how distinguished, to tho
Presidency of the United States.
in the face of the fact that no elec-
ton can be held for this high po-
sition until 1904, and by that time
it is possible that many of the now
prospective candidates will have
passed to their final accounts, and
other men and measures, not now
even dreamed of will be before the
people of this country.
Who of the old men Of this ma
ton, does not remember when Mr..
Polk, of Tennessee, was nomina-
ted for President, not being a can
didate before the national conven-
ton for the position, aud how it
was asked: "Who is James K.
Polk?' A very laughable matter
occurred in connection with this
domination, which shows how nat
uraIy our people take to the nomi.
nee when announced. 1t will he
remembered that this nomination
vas made after three days con-
test, and it 30 happened that a
good Irish democrat who attended
one of the locks on the New York
canal. was very anxious to learn
the name of the lucky man, and
after three days wait, he learned
that candidate was named, and
he was asked to guess the map.
He commenced by saying: VanBu-
ren, no; Buchanan, no; Cass, no;
Dallas, no; Marcy, no; Wright. no;
we'll, who is it? James K. Polk.
At this the lock tender shouted:
"Hurrah, hurrah, he has killed
'ingians,' whipped more British,
done more for the country than
any other man, hurrah for--for-
what did you say his name is?"
Again, when Franklin Pierce, OF
New Hampshire, was nominated.
it 80 happened that that family
name WAS very common in the city
VI New York, and when the tele-.
graph flashed the name Of Pierce
over the wires, about fifty men Of
that name in New York City wore
out shaking hands and receiving
the congratulations of friends on
their nomination. Or Garfield,
who went to Chicago to nominate
John Sherman, but received the
nomination himself, and 80 it goes,
showing us that the unexpected.
has. and may happen again. In
this fast age: great men develope
very rapidly, and the private citi-
zsn of today may be the President
of the United States tomorrow,
and the leading man of today may
be cast down tomorrow. Under
these peculiar conditions of polit-
ical society, it is we'll for every
American citizen to keep his light
ming rod up, but don't undertake
to conduct q three years fight for
any Office, and he who can keep
cool now may be able to muster a
mighty army Of voters in 1904
Don't become politically hot for at
least two years yet, and perhaps
then you will find it cooler, but if
you start in now you will certainly
fail. just think of a three years
political fight for some favorite,
and then when the convention as
sembles to find that your effort is
of no avail and new man looms
up in the political horizon. And
then to think of defending mans
character for three years! Have
we great statesman whose char
acter is so pure that he can stand
the assaults of a political opposi-
ton for three long years and live?
1t is q melancholy fact that no
mans good name is proof against
the shafts of political enemy,
and to commence the fight now SO
far in advance of a necessity isab-
surd. Let us postpone the canvass
until about August 1904, thea just
whoop it up until the election. hnt