Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-09-19
= ;: Champ
50 Clark's
y = Letter
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Especial Washington letter.
"A GOOD many of the newspapers
are poking fun at Hon. Tom
X L. johnson for endeavoring to
induce an eminent divine of
his city to run for congress. Just why
they should undertake to make fun of
that proposition is hard to understand.
First and last good many preachers
have got into congress, and as a rule
they have demonstrated their capacity
as Legislators. 1t is fact not gen
orally remembered, but nevertheless a
fact, thar Edward Everett was a dis
tinguished minister of the gospel be-
fore he began his great career as q
statesman. 1t is but sober truth to say
that in his official career he never did
a thing or uttered a word incompatible
with the highest standard of Christian
conduct. General james A. Garfield
was an amateur preacher; so was Gov
crnor and Senator Colquitt of Georgia.
l myself have served in the house
with half dozen preachers, among
them DR.. William Everett, son of Ed
ward Everett; Judge Vardcman Cock
! rell of Texas, Delegate Callahan Of Ok
lahoma, jeremiah Botkin of Kansas
T, and others, as the sale bills say, too
tedious to mention. So far as l was
ever able to observe, they attended to
their duties ably and intclligcntly
without in any way sacrificing their
character as ministers of the gospel.
/ Consequently l am one of those who
do not join in the funmaking in the
case of Tom johnson and his preacher.
| would not advise any preacher to
run for congress, but If one who feels
that he has a call to go to congress
does so I think he is liable to acquit
himself about as well as the average
| member, and there is no reason under
The shining sun why he should not
leave congress as good a Christian as
he enters it. AS matter Of fact, q
| few preachers scattered around through
congress would do good. am rather
| inclined to the opinion that it would
help the preachers themselves by CIV
ing them broader and more charita
BILE view of human nature.
Republican Harmony.
Frequently in these letters have re-
ferred to the fact that the Republicans
rend and tear each other individually
and collectively. In all their abuse Of
| each other nothing more caustic has
| come under my observation than this
excerpt from the New York CONNER
cial Advertiser touching that eminent
Republican statesman, the Hon. Lem
uel Eli Quigg:
Why ouigg? What particular reason
! is there for Mr.. Plat to reach back into
the political obscurity which has envel-
Opea Quigg like soft and soothing gar
ment for a year or more and lift him
fercibly into the public gaze again? Mr..
Piatt must be in possession Of the rea-
everybody else in the party seems to have
several plausible reasons why aniga
should be left undisturbed. Nobody has
asked that he be made temporary chair
man OF the state convention. while a
largo number OF persons, many of them
have protested against such irritating
Use of him. They say 1t would queer
the convention. Why it should queer
1t Is not clear, but there seems to be a
feeling of uneasiness in many sections OF
the party when Quiggs name is men,
toned or his engaging countenance is
disclosed. Quigg can scarcely be ig-
norant of this. The gentlemen who suf-
fer in this way have snoken of their feel.
iHge with great frankness rhey are
speaking IN that way even now. They &c
not see the need OF tlis fresh torture
!, Why should Mr.. Plat subject them to it.
and why should Quigg wish to be made
the instrument of it? 1t is a great mys.
terry; but then from the moment of his
appearance in politics to the present hour
t9Higg has been a mystery.
Russell A. AIger Redivivus.
The death of Senator Mcmillan of
Michigan affords the Hon. Russell A.
Alger an opportunity of emerging from
that obscurity which becomes him SO
well. He bobs up serenely as a candi-
date for the succession. lie has the
one qualification, the one thing need
full, for successful Republican career
! in AIichigan-a barrel-and what
pleases the Republicans most about
Russell is that when he wants any.
thing he taps his barrel literally; he
not only opens the bung but he knocks
in the head. Hence there is much jul
bilation in the Michigan Republican
camp. There are great times ahead
for Republican members of the Michi.
gan legislature. 1t will be remembered
that General Alger was a candidate
for president in 1883, and the way he
stirred up things was absolutely amaz
ing. He didn't get the nomination, il
is true, but he gave the other candi.
dates severe nervous shock John
Sherman fatty charges in his book of
"reminiscences that Algcr bought his
southern delegates away from him.
II Sherman in his hour Of need had
been as liberal in his use of Doodle as
he said Algcr was, the Ohioan would
probably have been president instead
of General Harrison. Poor Alger! He
was made the scapegoat of all the sin
ners in the Spanish war and was
squeezed out of the cabinet. He tried
to get even by writing book, but in
that respect he is equally unfortunate
for nobody reads his book. But Algel
is not certain of his election to the
senate, even with his barrel, for there
are barrels and barrels. Senator Nc.
Millan's son is said to have quite q
large sized barrel, and the Republican
politicians Of Michigan who have pulls
are fastening their tentacles on young
4 Mcmillan, trying to get him into the
race. The probability is that if boil
of these modern Cr9suses enter tho
race other muItimillionaires will enter
| p,,I ,l I'll