Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-04-14

seems that some people, who
are given to seeing hobgoblins
and ghosts,Dare laying too much
stress on ex-President Cleveland's pro-
posed swing around the circle. 1t may
be that Grover is estimating the edu-
cational effects Of that much adver-
tised trip too highly himself. This is
a free country, and we say, Let him
swing!" A president of the United
States once swung around the circle,
hoping thereby to drum up votes
enough to nominate himself to succeed
himself, but his swing was teetotal
failure. The writer of this is not author
lied to speak for G. G. and therefore
does not know that he is swinging
around in search of. votes, but If he is
and his whole past justfes the belief
that he is-he may be, and perhaps
will be, as greatly disappointed Ms
was A. ]. in 1868. So let the old man
travel. 1t will not hurt him unless the
train jumps the track or there is col
lision-things which may happen to all
travelers-and his perambulating about
the country will not hurt any body else.
He may even pick up some valuable
information to enable him to write
some more of his delightful essays on
fishing for the Saturday Evening Post
of Philadelphia, the paper started by
old Ben Franklin. G. G. shines in that
line Of literature, and it causes people
to have a kindlier feeling for the portly
old gentleman. He is doing no harm
fishing until he turns fisher Of men.
AS long as he sticks to the gospel Of
LEAK Walton he is all O. X. If people
could be convinced that he is not a
candidate for president-and at his age
he should not be, he is sixty-six-he
would receive a more generous well
come than he is likely to receive as it
is, but unless he chokes off such yaup-
ers as Joseph Pulitzer and ex-Govern-
or Charles T. O'Ferrall of Virginia his
trip is likely to be construed Us the de-
vice of perpetual candidate, and he
will find the cold shoulder oftener than
the glad hand.
A Wise Constitutional Provision.
The constitution of Missouri contains
a provision which authorizes the gov
ernor to veto any particular provision
of an appropriation bill or to scale it
down. What pity that provision
like that was not placed in the federal
constitution! It would save the people
millions annually. AS 1t now is the
jobbers all seek to have their jobs fas-
tened on to q bill of general import
and general necessity. That done, they
feel certain that the president will not
veto the bill of which their job consti-
tutes paragraph, section or item. The
Missouri plan takes from the jobber his
golden opportunity provided there is
an honest and courageous man in the
executive chair.
There is another provision Of the Mis-
souri, constitution which is invaluable
in operation. That is the requirement
that on roll call there must be an at
firmative vote cast by majority Of
each house in order to pass any bill.
II that were also part Of the federal
constitution, 1t would cure many legis-
| lative ills.
The Philadelphia North American
| Wanamaker paper and therefore Re-
| publican-says: "As stern warning to
of1iceholders the assistant attorney gen.
| erals will be accepted, and q change
of methods will be effected in the Of
fee. This will be q severe blow to the
get rich quick concerns and. Mr.. Ty'
ner's clever young relative"
Truth to tell, Tyner had been In his
quiet official berth so long that people
thought he was dead. A great many
public men live too long.
Lees Statue.
The ways of making an ass Of one
| self are SO numerous that 1t may be
superfuous to point out one, more OF
less. The fact that the legislature Of
Virginia has selected the statue OF
General Robert E. Lee to be one Of bel
two representatives forever in Statu
airy hall, the American Valhalla, has
afforded occasion for several gentle
men to spring into sudden prominence
by making exhibitions Of themselves
Among them regret to note my friend
Major John E. Lacey Of Iowa. The
major is upreservedly against the Lee
statue and rushed into print to say 30
Now, am too young to have been II
the civil war. So are large majority
of American voters. and men of M.
generation and of the younger genera
ton regard the prominent actors II
that bloody drama rs great historic
personages, no matter on which side
they fought.
! Within the last four or five years WI
have heard vast amount Of talk-f
good deal Of it gush and twaddle-
about "a reunited country" If it Ii
reunited, neither Major Lacey nor any
body else ought to object to Genera
Lees statue in Statuary hall. If 1t /!
not reunited, let us hear no more TO
about 1t. Certainly If General Fitz
Hugh Lee and General Joe Wheelel
are fjt to wear Uncle Sans uniform
and to be on Uncle Sans retired lis
General Robert q. Lee, the courtlies
knight of them all, would not contami
nate the other inmates of Statuar.
hall by standing in their midst.
| Another thing Major Lacey and 9th
er kickefs SHOULD remember is this
they have nothing to say about VIII
shall stand in Statuary habitat is
nothing to say properly, because eacl
state has right to select two Of he
distinguished sons in Statuary hal
and nobody has right to say the stat
nay It Ia n matter exclusively for tn