The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-26
BEWARE HUMBUGS
IN ALL POLITICS.
Continued from Eighth Page.

pie? The successful politician plays
a four-stringed violin and out OF II
draws the sweet number or ms owl
success. String number one is this
same old corporation scare. The num-
Der of tunes it has played for the deai
people who delight to be humouggeo
is surprising the imagination.
String two is the capacity OF the
aspirant to rectify the wrong just
make me judge and I will do him JUS
tice. The fellow generally gets IN,
but the situation stays the same. l
suppose they just keep it so for the
benefit of the next fellow.
String number three, close to the
dear people l heard Lon Livingston
in the campaign that made him con-
gresham play beautiful little piece
on that string. He told them -FOUR
years ago l went around with Judge
Stewart and told you that he was
nearer to you than Nat Hammond.
That was true but l want to tell you
now, l am Just a little nearer you
than Judge Stewart. He convinced
them, and he keeps them convinced
so the other fellow cannot get in.
The Chord of Abuse.
But the biggest here is played on
strong number four, the abuse chord
that never fails. Just get abused If
you desire to be elected. The political
martyr is a much better job than the
Christian martyr The latter is buri-
ed, left in the cold earth for centuries
and canonized by the sons of those
that burnt him. The former gets his
pie right away.
Now, boys, you see how the mercen-
aries are abusing me. They are about
to ruin me. 1t is all for your sakes.
Your cause needs vindication and you
must just elect me. 1t never will do
for a poor, injured fellow like me to
fail.
'Only two boys at the bat and both
of them have knocked a home run
at the first strike Vindicate me, says,
Morris, for they are abusing your leg
islator fellows. Vindicate me, says Os-
borne, for they can't do anything but
abuse. They say we are entering
new campaign. 1t is going to be cam
paign of martyrdOm. 1t is good tactics.
If / ever run for office or leadership
I am going to borrow some money and
hire at least one paper in every county
to abuse me out The man who adopts
the no humbug doctrine won't pay
much attention to the tunes played on
that string.
Reform the WatchwOrd.
stick to the no humbug principle
and we are much amused at the pend
ing discussion. Reform is the watch
word of one apostle and already re-
formed the refrain of the other. To the
man on the outside the role is peculiar.
The scriptures tell us that satan comes
in the form of an angel of light. 1t
looks like we have two satans and so
much light that the eyes of our dis
cernment are blinded.
'One comes with the trophies of vic
torious reform and writes a long story
of vindication. Some of us are dis
posed to credit a defeated candidate for
Governor and his campaign of two
years ago, Hall of Bibb. the editor
legislator Of Chatham, and others with
the efficacy of that work.
In the light of that wondrous rec
ord we cannot see how pure politics
and reform government is consistent
with acceptance of Office by appoint
ment of the Governor on a board Great
ed during his term in the Legislature,
specially when so many things indicate
a tendency to use our schools for po-
litical consideration.
suppIantinE of Esnu Recalled.
1.-THE story of Jacobs supplanting
Esau win come to our mind amid the
dazzle of coming reforms. Old Isaacs
lament it is the voice of Jacob, but
Esaus hand suggests a similar du-
bious mental state. When the cor
poration reform issue is made certain
questions concerning local institutions
will force themselves to the fore. l
give them utterance and leave the in
formed to answer.
HAS Savannah a machine govern
ment? Who is the controlling spirit of
the machine? Have we any corpora
tions in Savannah? What are their
relations to the machine? Are all the
ordinances of the city faithfully en-
forced against these corporations?
Have they no undue influence in secur-
ing privileges, exemptions in the exec
utive or judicial departments of our
government? Are their employees alb
solutely free to exercise their fran
chise as they please without detri-
ment to their standing with the cor
poration? Does afIiliation with any DO
litical organization help them in re-
ceiving position with any corporation?
] do not affirm, / only ask careful
scrutiny, that there may be no hum
bug in our corporation reform move
ment.
Reform To Deform.
Too many times men enter the
political reform door only to deforn
the public purity. Some history in Sa-
Vannah might be studied with profit
on this line. l learned a lesson when
a school boy of this species of the
humbug. A league was organized by
some ambitious billiards against the
Greek letter fraternities. As many of
the new boys as they could saturate
with their tales of the iniauities of
these societies were sworn in. IL was
quite the thing The election for an
niversaries came off, and the plotters
were successful. All at once their
zeal departed and the league was
gone. Office was the meaning of their
stories. Beware of humbug reform.
The real article is greatly needed, but
the fraud should be despised.
The reform should bring forth fruit
meet for repentance. In the defense
of the old ring. there is nothing about
prohibition. An assault with attempt
TO clear the corporations is made. but
not syllable about the whisky power.
The coast politician has an open field.
Silence gives consent. So the assail-
ed may be pronounced guilty on that
charge. Consistency will doubtless in
spire the accuser with great zeal for
temperance.
Reform mt Home.
Reform will show itself at home in
Sunday closing and stricter admins
tration Of the liquor laws. Should we
not see signs in this direction would
not the inference Of pandering to pub
Tic sentiment for purposes of ambition
be established? Open town Is popular
in Chatham, so the politician helps Il
on here. Anti-corporation is popular
In the country, hence he develops great
zeal there.
"Ax-grinding is the main business in
both places. hence the use Of both