Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-19
49, -,
TIE BAND WAGON BUSINESS.

THE BAND WAGON BUSINESS.
There is large number Of people,
whom it would be an injustice to ac-
euse of being lacking in political hon
or and astuteness, who are by no
means. willing to accept the very prev
alent opinion that it is a mark of far
seeing cleverness anu political acu-
men to drop candidate or a principle
at the first suggestion of possible de-
feat, and Chamber upon the band
wagon.
Their diffidence in the matter of exc
cutting flip fops and side steps on the
public forum is due, no doubt, to the
fact that they are impressed to GER
tain degree with the old fashioned
idea that if thing is worth standing
for 1t is worth sticking for; that 1t is
cheap support that can be side tracked
by the bride of a plum; that iecog-
milton and Offices brought to the coun-
ty by the manipulations OF d graft
ing, pan-handling delegation that goes
to a convention, supposedly in sup
port of a principle, aut in reality with
a hand out for anything, does not
bring a country the honor and
strength that comes with victory
won by sticking steadfastly to an idea,
but rather wins the contempt of those
who delivered the goods.
That the members of party can
have the sense, grace, toll, .ance and
patriotism to swing into line" and
expend their best energies toward the
furtherance OF the candidacy of the
party nominees, even if these nomin-
ses be not the ideal of the entire party,
is admirable. But that many electors
can and do, at the first sign of weak
ness on their side, run from the field
of battle and seek safety behind the
guns Of those against whom they have
been arrayed, thereby giving the I'M
preston that they had been standing
for something that did not merit their
support in adversely, is an admission
that they were wrong in taking the
stand they had, or, what is worse,
that they are cowardly poltroons, to
whom principle means nothing when
profit can be had by fluking.
County bosses who train their del
egations to "stick to so-and-so until 1t
Envelopes that he can not win" and
then swing in with the man who will
have the patronage to dispense, may
be doing the proper thing to prevent
being swamped for the time, hut they
ire certainly not training their people
In q way that will bring reliable. and
lasting strength.
Political plum dispensers as usual
thing do not pay more for a thing
than it is worth. A candidate prizes
most highly delegation from a coun-
" that has reputation of standing
oat, and in the mad scramble for of
Zee he will MOI hold out alluring in.
1ucements to a Hopping, weakened,
never-stay-bought delegation when,
with the same plum he can "fix" an
,ther delegation and know that they
will not leave him stranded high and
Try on the. sands of defeat.
The sioux Valley News is aggrieved
because the Lincoln county delegation
was bull headed enough to "stick" and
10 what they were sent to the state
convention to do. It is greatly mort.
lied that the delegation carried the
,ounty to the last ditch" The News
can find consolation, if it 50 desires
In the knowledge that in the next
,ampaign the best and strongest can
aidate will work hard ana trot out
his best trading stock in order to Sc
cure that Lincoln county delegation
the one that will "stick to the last
ditch.