The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-05-23
WORKS EITHER WAY.

DoeS the lIHiiSlne mat the 1ll-tlMeQ eAtTdVd-
Gance OF Its Doodle partisanship escapes the attention
OF its readers? Seeing day by day the disclosures OF
corruption on the part of Republican politicians. can
readers avoid amending to fit the case some Of the
Globes strained editorials?
Take an example. The Globe said yesterday, under
the head, "Penitentiary Leadership:
Levin. as a leading executive agent of the
Jefferson Club. turned some hundreds of IL
legal votes into the ballot boxes of st. Louis
and the appreciation in which he was held
by the club may be judged from the fact
that he was the president Of one of its
branches. His employers and hackers never
found any fault with him. His special SER
vices suited the Jefferson Club exactly. He
is a characteristic staff assistant of that
organization.
1t is awkward for a party and its leading
club to have two of its most powerful and
energetic leaders under sentence to the penl-
tertiary. The circumstance is unusual. and
the important Democratic task in Missouri
now is to find a way to retain the many
votes represented by Butler and Levin and
yet disown their penitcntiary aspect.
Transpose the article just a little and see whether
1t would not work as we'll in the other direction. Sub
stitute Busche for Levin. Busche. a member of the
Republican State Committee. has appeared before the
st. Louis Grand Jury and admitted under oath that he
accepted brides while a member of the State Legisla-
ture. The appreciation in which he was held by his
party may be judged from the fact that it not only Sc
lected him a member of the State Committee. but
uul d ChhDV VI ihG LtSSldtuIe. 1lS pOlIll-
cal associates and the Republican leaders never found
any fault with him. His special services suited the
State COMMITTEE exactly. He is n characteristic Re
publican committeeman.
1t is awkward for a party and its managing COM
mittee to have one of its most powerful and energetic
leaders confess himself guilty of felonies and admit
that he committed crimes for which he should be sen
fenced to the Penitentiary. The circumstance is I'M
usual, and the important Republican task in Missouri
now is to find a way to retain the many votes repre-
scented by Busche and Hartmann and yet disown their
Penitentiary aspect.
If the Globes article is sound the variation is sound.
The name of Kratz, former member of the Republican
City Committee, could with the same effect be substi-
tuted for that of Busche. Or Tamblyn, Republican
leader in the House of Delegates, and strongly urged
at one time as a Mayoralty candidate by influential
Republicans, would point the moral and adorn the tale
with force and appropriateness.
Crime is individual. No political party, as a body
of voters, condones crime or can be held responsible,
unless it shields the criminals. Crime will not be a
party issue in Missouri. But if it is forced by fools
into a political campaign, the Republican party, which
must explain Busche and Schweickardt, as well as
Kratz, Murrell, Tamblyn and Hartmann, will be on
the defensive from first to last.
Moreover, while Levins party professions are not a
part Of a political canvass, 1t will not be forgotten
that he was originally and naturally a Republican and
sold his services to n few gang Democrats-who never
had any standing in the Jefferson %Club-only after and
because he and the Republican gang ceased to agree.