Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-06-26
Principle Versus Fleshpots.

ETulSiPiC VCTSuo FiCSHpOlSs
'When I read the Bangor News this
morning, | had to rub my eyes to dis
cover if I were in Maine or back in
Missouri 1t contained an editorial
saying that the Maine Democrats are
pretty goodish chaps, after ALL but
intimating that they are dead wrong
on every question under the SUM- That
reminded me of one of my constituents
named Henry Wooten, who was al
ways in a lawsuit. He was generally
successful, but carried his pitcher to
the fountain once too often, and q jury
brought in a verdict against him.
Wooten cooked his head on one side,
looked the jury over and said, Gentle
men of the jury, individually you are
a very nice set of men, but collectively
the damnedest set of rascals 1 ever
saw
"And it has always appeared to me
that Wooten's opinion of that jury
is a very fair and just characterization
of the Republican party.
'That editorial in the Bangor News
contains this remarkable language:
cit would be mighty nice and COM
Portable idea for the Democratic conven-
ton of today to resolve that the delegates
as individuals do now join the Republican
party and work earnestly to have their
friends and constituents do the same
wise thing. We assure them that the
Republicans would be glad to welcome
them and would do the right thing by
them in the way of awarding offices The
of Moir loryn oil 1,aoy
generous to their Democratic converts.
For example, there is Chief Justice Wis
well. who inherited his Democracy from
n most worthy ancestor. When he got out
in the world and saw where his party
was going. he made right about face
and has never regretted the change. An
other illustrious example is Hon. Harold
Sewall of Bath, who served as Demo-
cratic consul at Samoa under Cleveland's s
first term, became disgusted with Denoc-
tacy thought it over and finally took his
lot with the party of progressive ideas.
In four years from the time of his con-
version he was appointed United States
minister to Hawaii at a salary of $4,000
year.
, ''Howl many Maine Democrats ever re-
ceived $4,000 a year from holding po-
iiticai office? How many of them ever re-
ceived an office of any kind? And the
longer they stay in the party of obstruc-
ton the less IS the cnance or Inelr ever
getting one. So let them give up the
struggle and come with the majority We
cannot promise to give them all offices
this year, but we will do the best we can
for them. Let the convention think these
matters over and take them to heart.
Certainly that editorial deserves a
place in Disraeli's 'Curiosities of Lit
erature,' il not in a moral philosophy
or handbook on patriotism.
TWO sewaIIs.
"Some time, somewhere, something
more extraordinary may have been
printed in an American newspaper than
the reasons given in that editorial as
to why Maine Democrats should join
the Republicans. What is that why?
Not principle, not love of truth, not pa
triotism, but a yearning for the loaves
and fishes--the old flag and a fifteen
thousand dollar Office! What is the diff
S ference, pray you.A in mans selling
his vote at the polls for SIS or in sell
ing himself to a political party for a
fifteen thousand dollar office? The
News in support of its theory cites the
fact that Chief Justice Wiswell de-
serted the Democrats, joined the Re-
Dublicans and found his reward in the