The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-29
PARALLELS AND POLITICS.


To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
No matter whether it was Shakespeare or
some other poet of renown who first wrote
the touching and truthful couplet:
when the devil was sick the devil monk
would be-
But when the devil got well, the devil a
monk was he,
but whoever it was. he uttered q most in
structive parable which is especially inter-
esting just now in indianapolis. Remem-
Der, parallels never to be construed lit
orally. For instance, there never was
convention of trees for the purpose of
choosing a king, one of the Bible para
bles says there was. but the parable taught
a lesson of great local Importance at the
time and il is not without its lesson now
In fact. the devil never was sick so far
as anybody knows of. but he has often been
endorsed in his bouts with his betters.
whereupon he at once becomes pious and
wants to pose as mark or the like, ard he
sometimes does this so adroitly to de-
ceive the very elect, as Ii were. But usual
ly he succeeds with the young and mex
perienced only. Ii is only the young fly
that walks into the pretty parlor of the
spider on listening to his palaver.
For six consecutive years Indianapolis
had been in the hands of the Democratic
party with Mr. Taggart, the brains and
Drawn of the party, at its head, and as good
a he is personally he administered
of that party and to the entire satisfaction
of the controlling element of the party
He could not help it; nobody elected as a
party man can. But IL transpired that the
Republicans elected Mr.. Bookwalter to
succeed him, whose administration has been
as true TO the Republican tenetS as Mr..
Taggart's was to the Democratic. Yet, on
matters not pertaining to Republican poll
tics at ALL many Republicans are so
grieved that they say they will not vote for
his reelection, whereupon the endorsed
TlArsa rfa laxrf inc MIC
may by this means be put into the saddle
again 1t would be amusing if the matter
were not too serious to be laughed at to
note the zeal of the permanent and the pro
tenn. organs OF the party in magnifying the
high moral qualities of Mr.. Hoffman as If
he were in issue. He is nothing of the
kind; it is the Democratic party, not Mr.
Hoffman. that is wanting TO play the
monk lust now. Ii happens that the
only serious objection to MIR. Bookwalter
is his record on the saloon business and it's
accessories But what have who do
not indorse that record to gain by restoring
the Democratic party to power? Another
parable comes TO our aid in this dilemma
II is that of the fish who displeased
with the temperature of the frying pan and
for relief jumped into the fire. The par
the fire hotter than the frying pan after il
was too late to remedy its folly.
In studying duty in this emergency il
seems to me that ought to exercise n
little common sense we'll great deal
of political sense and study the lesson of
the parable just quoted Who ever heard
of the Democratic party's being anything
else than true TO its traditions when re-
stored to power by pious promises? What
the Democratic party the saloon
and law-enforcing questions when i'm the
hands OF Mr.. Tagsart. one Of the chief rep