The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-11-27
The Matter of "Rings."

The Punxsutawney Spirit of last week
contains this on the matter of rings:
1t is usual for persons who delight in
finding fault and trying to kick up a
row in any organization to which they
belong, TO talk mysteriously and with
bated breath about the enormous in
iquities Of "The Ring" But if called
upon TO describe the bugaboo so that
anybody could recognize it. they would
have to draw very literally upon their
imagination. There are always people
who are by nature insubordinate. You
will find them in churches, in politics, in
lodges ana everywhere else that organ, "a
tions exist. They want to tear down
instead Of build up. They are envious,
and 'ove To attribute bad motives to
everybody. They do not care to tax ke hole
and help push things along themselves.
but take great pleasure in standing with
their arms folded sneering and criticsing
those who are tugging away in tho har-
ness.
In every organization there are always
some persons who take a greater interest
in il than others. They naturally 90
ahead and do what they think ought to be
done for its welfare and success, and be-
cause of their energy and zeal they come
to be looked upon by others who are in
terested in the success Of the organization
as leaders, and their opinions are ac-
counted of more value than the opinions
of those who take little or no interest
These are denominated by the drones
and Kickers as "The Ring" Ifyou want
TO improve an organization-if you are
interested in its wellare-get into it, and
give it the benefit of your advice and
council. To stand alooi and howl like a
coyote only makes you ridiculous. IAN
the world loves a lover" and all the
world feels like kicking a kicker. We
hear much of the political rings, but very
little that is ratiOnal-vety little that is
not dictated by revenge, wounded van
ity, or chronic disposition to refuse to
he anything unless you can be the
"whole thing" Like Cassius, these fell
lows twill not follow anything that other
men begin and they will not begin any,
thing but row.
A political organization in any civil
division in which the popular vote is used
to determine issues, must be composed
of a majority of voters, or il cannot sue
ceed. Those who take the most zeal for
the success oftheir party naturally come
TO be regarded as leaders. Such has ever
been the case since man has kept rec
ord of events, and such will continue to
be the rule till the end of time. If leaders
become corrupt and selfish, and It is ap-
parent that they are looking more to their
own than to their party's welfare, the
rank and file of the organization will
soon lose confidence in them, and their
influence will die-as it should. New
leaders will then arise spontaneously, but
they will never come from the ranks OF
the chronic fault finder, whose business
it is to destroy, and not to build. Lead
ers must be of the constructive, and not
of the destructive, temperament.
Every Republican, and every Demo-
crat, who takes an interest in his party,
is member OF the organization. Those
who oppose it call the active list, or
workers, the ring, and point to it as a di-
abolical thing. The oldest man living
cannot remember when the disgruntled
ones Of his party did not talk about "The
Ring aud if he should live thousand
years longer he will continue to hear the
same thing. No considerable body ofmen
can work together successfully without
organization. II the Republican party
had no organization in the county, State