The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-24
EXALTED BorRBoNISM.

Just Al the time when the MiSsOurian. and es-
pecialy the MiSSouran of the country. ought To
ceiye the utmost encouragement TO lively interest
and participation in the affairs of his State he is
subjected 10 tine bitcrcst disparaGement and most
vicious attacks OF a perverted journalism which
goes 10 any lengths in a frenzy Of partiSanslip.
Not content with a>persinS the public concerns
OF the MsSourian. this partisan journalism has re-
Gently devoted its energies assailing his property.
his farm lands contendinS that panic and demOraI-
zation in prices existed and that MissUurlans were
forSaking their homes and moving of the State.
Just what real damage 10 the farmer this plan of
Misrepresentation caused is impossible TO ascertain.
but that it affected the reputation Of the State and
injured the value of property 10 some extent is
probable.
Having thus attacked him in his property rights,
as Z landholder and farmer, this journalism next
addressed itself 10 the NIissourim personally: and
for some time regular series OF slandcrs have been
aimed at nothing less than the private character OF
the MiSsourian. IndlScriminately great body of
MiSsouri's agricultural population have been Sian
dered as men TO their personal attributes and as
citizens
It was Cato who truly said that the agricultural
population produces the hravcst men, the most
valiant soldiers and most useful citizens; and the
statement was never truer than rs applied to the
and garner the grain At his best the Missouri
farmer is Gods nobleman and at his worst he is no
worse than other men.
And that he is 4 Democrat is matter Of just pride
with the NIssourian who has helped 10 make the
thirty years record of consistent and honorable
Democracy in his State. lie can look across the
border east, north and into the domain Of the
Republican host and find in the comparison much
that Is satisfying, nothing that is discredtable to
him as voter, n citizen, farmer, or as a man.
But If the Missouri Democrat finds no cause for
shame in a contrast with his Republican brothers
elsewhere, certainly he suffers nothing by compari-
son with the Republican standards which obtain in
his own State, exemplfed by the active political
element He may glance about him and find every
incentive TO continue in his Democracy. If one
would seek the cause for what is maligned as Mis-
souri, BOurbonism' he need look no further than to
the mere office mongers and job holders denounced
even 10y the bisot journals in lucid intervals who
tend 10 make the Republican machine in Missouri
a synonym for all that is forbidden and repeant in
politics. Assuredly NIissouri's more intelligen;
citizenship will not cease to vote er straight as
against this grade of politics
Indeed, there is much reason TO believe that the
Missouri Democrat possesses the confidence. and
more especially at this time the sympathy Of his
brother Republicans in the State; and there is
large probability that the better class Of Missouri
Republicans Will cooperate with the staid "Bour-
bons to vote er straight against the very political
clement which the organs seem TO represent
But for the Bourbon Missouri would he in ::
bad way. But for the Bourbon" we should have
had Legislature wholly given over to doodle 4
corrupt majority, instead of Republican minority,
to hetray the people 70 lobby. But for the 81.
Louis Bourbon" we should I'm all probability be
still in The meshes Of municipal corruption. It is
the sort OF Bourbon whom the higots Slauder
who has guarded and defended Missouri and its
cities in the past and who will wholly redeem the
State in future from the evil influences which are
nowhere better represented than by the slanderous
journalism, inimical to progress and reform. All
honor 10 this sort Of Bourbonism