Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1902-09-10
A PRAYER OF WOE
The Political Dilemma of the Demo. cratic perty vividly Portrayed in
 Petition for DeIWerance.

l NShtAy HI PoPSA PuOiiShON LII A'Oi eh Carolina. It makes interesting read, ing and is we'll worthy of preserva- ton. The language is sometimes harsh, but the subject deserves it, and few words are wasted in cover ing a multitude of sins.
 O, Lord God of Joshua, Jacob and Jim Jones, hear us, we beseech thee, in this our hour of political bewilder- ment, for we are tangled up in the calf ropes of democratic deception and are about to break our necks. We are scattered worse than a flock of timid toads after hailstorm; we have an aching void in the pit of our stomachs which nothing but the fat of office can satisfy. We are badly scared. physically undone and mor- ally rotten. We have houndered around and split up and busted apart and run together and fuzzed and fought and loaned and fizzed till we can't tell whether we are stepping in the footsteps of Tom Jefferson or fol- lowing the dictates of the devil. We don't know where we are at, where We came from or whither we goeth. All is darkness and gloom. We are cast down in the valley of humili- ation. On our right are the towering summits of national progress. On our left are the briny waters of demo- cratic dissolution. Before us in plain view are encamped the pesky repub- licans in the full enjoyment of official bliss, and just behind us loom up our own records, which bring shame on our faces every time we look back. In this pitiable and awful condition, O Lord, we come to Thee for succor, for no one else can help us put the hosts of republicanism to flight. We have attempted to scare them away from the offices, but every time we try it we get hurt. We confess they are too much for us. Their numbers are like the sands of the sea.
 In campaign years our editors write stirring appeals to the boys; our candidates go over the country making democratic orations and speeches, and we fairly burst our gals urging the people to stand by our party and save the country, while all the time the pesky "rads" go on saving wood and don't say anything. Every campaign we have hopes lifted high. We rip and snort and charge and rave and bawl, because our hosts seem invincible; but, O Lord, on election day it just seems to rain republicans, and we come out of the fight at the little end of the horn and feeling much worse than sheep kill ing dogs Lord, we confess we have been very wicked. We acknowledge having said millions of things that were not exactly true, and having done thousands of things that would shame the devil. But, Lord, it was the best we could do under the circumstances. We know that Tom Jefferson would not have worn the red shirt, stuffed a ballot box, thrown rotten eggs at re- publican speakers, nor refused to let the ballot box be opened. But, O Lord, You know circumstances alter cases. Jefferson didn't have such mighty host of republicans to fight as we have. He never dreamed of the size of the job we would have on our hands. Argument was all that was needed in his day. But the re- publicans have multiplied on the face of the earth till it requires all the stealing, red shirts, lies, intimida- tion and trickery that we command to give us any chance, and then get licked of the face of the earth. Lord, what are we to doi We know we are unworthy to speak anything of Thee. We feel ashamed of ourselves.
 Only few years ago we said Pres ident Mckinley was dangerous man to be at the head of the government. We called him an emperor, a pander CT to the trusts, trampler upon the Constitution, tool of the plutocrats. Today we acknowledge we lied. We, with all the world, know he was gentleman, patriot and a Christian. We are sorry we said so many hateful things about him. But, O Lord, We promise not to be so wicked any more if Thou wilt only help us to beat the republicans one time more.
 Lord, we are in rare need of an is- sue. We haven't got anything. Some | of us want free silver and some of us don't. Some are eager to make i'm perialism the issue, and some want | trusts. Then there are some of us who | are tagging that old issue of low | tariff back into the ring. Lord, We confess with a mighty confess that | we don't know what we want. We | trotted in our low tariff one time, and, Lord, Thou knowest what an awful mess we made of things.
 Sometimes we think we want to ex- pand nationally, and then we shud- der at the thought. We know that this country is already too big to manage. The republicans seem to have the democratic party by the tail on down-hill pull. But, Lord, may it not always be thus. Help us to smite them with terrible smite, so that every postofice in the land shall be ours. Help us this once aud we'll not bother Thee again as long as the salaries hold out.
 But, O Lord, if we are not on pray ing grounds; if the gates of heaven are shut against us; if the account is closed and the book is sealed; if Thou canst give no guiding star to lead us to victory; if we have siuned away our days of grace; if we are everlastingly beyond the pale of Thy hand, and and Thou wit not help us, Lord, please don't help the republicans, but just stand by and you'll see one of the con foundedest fights you ever witnessed, for We are bound to do something and that pretty sudden.
 Amen.