The Springfield herald., 1904-09-23
ONLY ONE ISSUE LEFT.
(. I. the .s,mcs.. and the Democr..

II Is the 'Ofaces. and the Democrats
Will Never Abandon It.
There is one issue the Democrats have
not and never will abandon-the Of
fees. With a light heart and an ensy
conscience they are willing to swallow
the gold standard, to enter a nolle prosse
as to the tariff robbery" to con.
struct the Panama Canal and to post.
pone independence for the Philippines
until the Filipinos have donned clothes,
but the of1ices-these they must have OF
the last excuse for their party's exist.
ence is gone.
page of open letters in the New York
he owns 1t, to prove that Theodore
Roosevelt and he alone is the issue.
''The paramount issue Of this campaign"
the editor writes. addressing himself di-
rect to the President, "is not as you
would have it. free trade or free silver,
but YOU YOURSELF = Theodore
Roosevelt. This issue inforced upon the
country by your unusual temperament
and talent-your own strong, able, am
bilious. resourceful, militant, passionate
personality, your versatile and. surpris.
ing genius"
IL this were not meant to be alarm
Ing 1t would fittingly describe one side
OF the personality OF the Republican
standard bearer worthy of being print.
ed in flaming type and posted at every
cross roads in the country. Add to it
the unquestioned attributes of honesty
courage and patriotism. and you have
the true measure Of the head of the
Republican ticket. Mr.. Pulitzer cannot
find that the possession of any of the
impulsve and willful traits he has at.
tributed to the President has led him
into hasty, arbitrary or ill-eonsidered
acts. or into any policy inimical to the
public welfare or that has not been
fully justified by the event.
No higher tribute could be paid to the
President than the way in which he has
been singled out by Mr.. Pulitzer as the
one engrossing, ovcrshadowing issue OF
the campaign.
Now, why does Mr.. Pulitzer wish to
get rid Of a President of such known
and approved qualities to make way for
the untested and inexperienced master
OF Rosemount?
The answer is plain-THE OFFICES.
Mr.. Pulitzer is Democrat-a trans
planted Missouri Democrat. He knows
that the national Democracy Is very
hungry and very thirsty and that it is
weary of feeding upon the husks that
fall to the share of the opposition party
at Washington.
So long as Mr.. Roosevelt is In the
White House Mr.. Pulitzer knows that
every office, outside of the classified
service, will go to a Republican. provid-
ed there is no Democrat so much better
qualified for it that to ignore his claims
would create a national scandal.
T. D,,l.t 81,
want is that the only touchstone of fit
ness for federal offices shall be the fray
ed maxim Of David B. Hill, ~ am a
Democrat" Upon this issue he has no
misgivings as to the firm and irrevoca-
Ele" convictions of the Sphinx Of Esopus.
In Judge Parker's eyes the author of the
maxim ITO the victors belong the spoils'
was the greatest statesman. not except
ing Boss Tweed. New York has ever
produced. And Mr.. Pulitzer believes
that Democratic mummy of the Marcy
schoo! in the White House would not
permit any question of fitness to inter-
fere between the faithful and the fed
eral pay roll.
licnnism of Theodore Roosevelt stands
How to remove this stumbling block in
the path of the lean and hungry wan
derers of 1896 and 19Uv is the supreme,
the only issue left to the Democracy.
II a national election could be decid-
ed by the voters wanting a job, ire
spective of their fitness for it, the De-
mocracy under the leadership OF Mr
Pulitzer would be invincible.