Bisbee daily review., 1904-08-26
THE STRAW VOTE NONSENSE.

The Chicago Tribune has been hay ing considerable to say of late about the significance of straw" votes it has been taking in that city. After two or three thousand citivens of tha ungodly and disrep- utable town. it has come to the con that the chances for Republican success this fall is particularly bright and cheerful.
 The Tribune and Republican organs the country are perfectly welcome to take all the comfort they can get out of such harmless amuse- ment as straw vote taking.
 As a rule such proceedings are childish, and give no real ground for genuine conclusions.
 There was probably never before a political campaign, where this fact will be so true as the one upon which we are entering. The campaign this year Will be decided. -not-ty the adorn- ment of the coat Iapels with buttons sufficiently large to adorn the side wall of a drawing room. nor by men who go about bearing emblems indi- eating their choice, but by a united and solid Democracy, north and south, by the presentation of candidates and principles which will attract to that solid Democracy the free and inde- pendent voter who signifies no choice through straw" votes and wearing labels, but the quiet thinking vote, which makes no parade and joins none.
 As between the straw" vote and the vest pocket vote, the Democrats will be perfectly wilang to give 10 the Re It is expensive work look ig for the publicans all of the former, feeling assured that there will be more than sufficient of the latter. to overbalance all the straw" men when the votes that elect come 10 be counted.
 It is to the man who thinks. the Democrats in this campaign appeal, and not 10 the herd that flocks around any personal standard. With clean cut candidates. standing upon platform and principles enunciated that serve as magnet, 10 those who love country more than party, who seek national supremacy, and not Rooseveltian swagger, who believe that the flag is good enough for all citizens of the nation, who still foster the old-fashioned idea that the place for the President is in Washington, and attending strictly to the affairs of the American people. instead of playing the role Of international po- liceman" with a big stick for all the little fellows outside the fence, who believe that the least taxes imposed upon our people is best for all, who be lieve that trusts are the curse of the country, who hang to the hallucina- tion that the national extravaganza of the present party in power is breed ing more extravaganza and waste, and that We should have a return to Democratic simplicity in every depart ment of the public service, that we should get back to the main line Of travel upon the old path that public office is public trust, :hat oi..ce hold CTS are servants of the people and not their masters. that the Constitution is stll bigger than the man with the Roughrider hat and foTty-fve, and that the will of the American people is not to be usurped by swagger, blus- ter and egotism.
 If there is any consolation for the Republicans to be found in fishing with straw vote bait, by all means let them have it. but on the morning after the voice of the people has been ex- pressed, mark these words that our good Republican friends will wonder where in the world all the west pocket" votes came from and in places where they thought there were no vests with pockets at all.