The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-31
NOT ALL GAS.

NOT ALL GAS.
 Discussing The Advertisers allusion
 to the Hearst boom as "a gas-bag" the
 Chattanooga Times says:
 The Hearst boom was never a mere
 'gas bag" if it had been it would new
 CT have been able to get outside the
 gone of the string of newspapers. Our Montgomery neighbor has had, no doubt. positive demonstrations of the
 than gas" has been operating in the
 interest of Mir. Hearst and that that
 something was not reachable by the or
 dfnary torpedo. Public sentiment, still self-respecting and still mindful of the
 honorable precedents and higher ideals of the republic, has done for the Hearst
 boom. It is a consummation, when it
 shall be over, worthy of something
 more than paragraph, for it means
 that the American people, whatever may be their other shortcomings, have vital interest in the unsullied char acter of their chief magistracy.
 In one sense The Times is correct
 There has been something more sub stantial in the shape of good United States currency, in Alabama as we'll as in other States. It is very generally believed that men have been paid round sums to work for him, and in some cases there is no other means of accounting for the support he has received. We freely admit that some men and newspapers may be advocat- ing his claims from purely disinterest- ed motives. just as others advocate the claims of other candidates, but that money has been used in this campaign to an extent heretofore unknown, and with brazen disregard of decency sickening to all who still believe that there is such thing as honesty in pol itics, cannot be doubted. The evidence obtrudes itself in almost every State of the Union, and In some cases bargain and sale has gone on without effort to hide it. To this extent there has been something more substantial than gas.
 And yet The Times must admit that this whole Hearst movement was de- veloped and kept afioat by the liberal use of hot air. No intelligent and dis interested writer has given even one good reason why Hearst should be nominated. His employees have sent out reasons "as plentiful as bIackberries" to show that he is the Heaven-sent Demo- cratic opportunity, but there could be men found who would write just as forcibly in favor of the nomination of Eugene V. Debs or "Lige" Dowie They boost Hearst because they are paid to do 1t and for no other or better reason. |
 No advocate of Hearst has been able | to show any evidence of statesmanshin that he has exhibited, or any solid | knowledge of state-craft or govern mental affairs. No one has shown that he possesses. talents or gifts that would entitle him to aspire to the Pres idency Starting out with monumental gall, unlimited ambition and almost unlimited wealth he has been able to get string of newspapers and em- pioy men to run them on the low plane | of his own tastes, and in the way that he finds will give him profit and noto- riety. Any man with his money could | do the same thing. just as any man with money can buy a string of race horses and put them on the track. This | may require a certain kind of talent | uul II IS not the hlnQ 10 Tt a man for | the Presidency.
 There are those who seriously regard | Hearst as an insane man, but in the words of Shakespeare: Though this be madness, yet there's method int" It may be a species of madness for such man to believe that he can buy | the Presidency, but he is not the only | man to believe that money will buy | There have been so many | instances in our political history where men have secured high position by the bargain and sale route that perhaps Hearst may be pardoned for believing that money and bluster will secure anything. Besides, no man since Bar nuns day has better understood the value of advertising and notoriety. He will not get the office he aims at but he will get himself talked about. His boom may not consist entirely of gas but there's moro of that than of any thing else, except money.