The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-06-01
FIRST AID TO THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY
Scandals in Department
Battle His Usual
Ingenuity

Washington, D. c., June 1.-Soustor
Mark Hanna calls henry c. Payne.
the postmaster general, Harry"
So do all Of Paynes intimate friends
And, when man whose name is Hen
ry is called Harry, it means he is a
genial and approachable sort Of a chap.
Genial is exactly what the pcstmast-
er general is. Indeed, he may be said
to be a professional genial. for his glad
hand, his fwinSling eye and his happy
smile are part of his stock in trade
as a politician. Not shat he Is not
pleasant when he is not political, for
he is, hut that he is a mixer en-
titled to all the degrees.
He could shake hands with marble
statue and infuse the pleasure Of hope
into it. He could crack a joke with
a snow man and make It believe there
never would be a thaw.
Payne's guiding principle is that a
soft answer turneth away wrath He
is a smoother-down, a pourer of oil
He conciliates. He pats on the back
and says: Now, my boy"
For 20 years he has been untwisting
the angles in politics that have both
cred the Republican national commit
tee. For 20 years, also, he has sup
piled the agile brain that turned the
tricks so essential to conduct of ma
tional campaigns. Payne is suave,
but he is shrewd. Behind all his
handshaking there had been the chain
lightning mind that can make plan,
carry it out and noa get caught
Couldn't Help His Course in Scandals.
The present Investigations into tns
nasty mess in the postoffice depart
ment have brought Payne into the
limeiight He has been widely criti-
cised for his apparent endeaver to
minimize ihe revelations and to sup
press the scandals
His course has not been his fault.
He couldn't help doing what he has
done any more than he could stop
winking his eyes. Payne has been in
politics since 1872. He has been no
dilletante in the game He has played
the whole keyboard from treble to
double base. He thinks politics-Re-
publican politics.
Scrupulously exact in his business
and personal affairs, he las no more
idea that it is wrong to use the gov
ernment to further the ends Of the
party than he has that II is wrong for
water to run downhill.
If man should go to Payne and
say: See here, Payne. 1t is not right
TO let Beavers put some additional
money into clerk hire in a COMPRESSION.
al district and to let Perry Heath ap
point some clerks from that district
merely to help out a Republican candi
date for congress" Payne would look
at the protestor in utter astonishmeni
and would undoubtedly say: why
the man they are helping is a Republi
can"
Thinks End Justifes Means.
That is the secret Of the whole af
fair. Payne is totally unable to see
why any and every means should mo-
be used to further party success. H'
would not default on an honest obliga
tion. That is business. Politics il
different The main end OF politics II
10 win What is the government fo
il it Is not to help the Republican
party?
No amount Of argument would mak'
a dent in Payne on this proposition
1t is his firm belief 1t has been hi
practice for a quarter Of a century
Utilize everything DO anything Win
Payne's viewpoint is not rare It i
the basis OF what is called ''practica
politics" There is no theory there
no altruism. no differentiation or tn
ethical side. Practical politics cor
sist in working every system. ever
device every chance to promote
candidates success. Practical poll
tics has nothing to do with principle
It's aim Is results.
Ifsthere ever was a practical polit
clan. Payne is the man. He Is Ma
saehusetts Yankee. who went TO Mi