New-York tribune., 1906-07-27
POLITICAL PHAGOCYTES.

The political pathoIogist Of ''The New York
Times" has been examining the Democracy, and
refuses TO recommend it for life insurance. He
has felt its pulse, looked at its tongue, micro
scopically examined specimens of it's blood, and
reports that it has NO white corpusces, or phago-
cytes, those policemen of the system which
pounce on and destroy disease germs and keep
the body from falling a prey to every malady
about. Only so can he explain the Democracy 6
invarlable habit OF catching every political dis
ease with which it comes in contact. The scien-
tist says:
Why is it that the Democratic party falls a
prey TO all infections and offers helpless hos
pitality 20 every germ that Wrlggles into ITS
neighborhood? Secession seized upon it forty
six years ago. and it not on its feet again
for twenty-four years. While in that debilitated
state it fell a victim to greenback imitation and
then went and got its system fulL or free SILVER
hacilli. It is always ailing, and seems really 10
invite invasion from every mala0y. AND now NJ
is undergoing virulent attack Oh Hearst. AZ
il survive that, with the COnners and Murphy
complications, why, then, nothing ever can
kin It.
The sad state Of the patient is rendered all
the more distressing by the aggressive robust
ness of the Republican party. 1t not only has
good red blood, but plenty Of white cOrpuscles
also. There is the Republican party, DID,
'wrinkled, and, we honestly believe, full of SIM
"that never catches anything but the offices"
mas DSeA e&poSSQ 10 dAA hAuus OL NdAscIs
The free silver germ riOted all about it in such
numbers that the Democrats were sure 1t would
have the disease, and were planning to rush it
off to the pesthouse and, they hoped, ON to the
mOrgle. But, instead, 1t proved immune while
the Democracy contracted an almost fatal at
tack of silver. 1.-THE Times" pathOlOgist doesn't
quite understand the case. He is sure the
Republican party is sinful; he thinks it hypO-
critical but admits that it plays its part well.
It puts forward its best men, wins the peoples
confidence though he believes it does fool them.
and ''all the while it respects the DemOcracy's
monopoly of infection, for its own health is
"insOlently fine."
1t does not seem 10 occur to the pathOlOgist
that the Republican party is healthy because it
deserves TO be. He knows well that the
Democracy, by lack of principle and loose llv-
ing, has contracted blood poison. and yet keeps
pretending TO health and morality, that he can
not believe the Republican party is not simply a
more discreet sinner or a more successful pre-
tender. Yet when we see party, as he admits,
uniformly putting forward its best men, avOwing
and trying to live up TO good principles, throw
ing off the infection which prostrates others,
correcting the evils in its own household as fast
as they are discovered, and, year after year,
commanding popular confidence, is it not fair
10 conclude that there is the inward grace which
these OuLNaE0 signs inulcHte! 1ue uodlIn OF
the Republican party is not due to mere chance :;
nor is it simply deceptive coat Of tan from
the sun OF prosperity. The party doubtless has
it's faults but when It's activity in power for
the correction Of evils OutdOes the noise of the
opposition In denOuncing them there must be
something genuine in it's character.
The party OF Roosevelt and Taft and Root and
Higgins and Hughes and Armstrong, which takes
hold OF pOstOfiee scandals, land frauds, consular
abuses. railroad rebates, trust lawlessneSs in
sUrance evils and all the rest, and, regardless Of
threats or pulls" cOrrects them, has not merely
a pOus appearance but a robust moral force.
That is why it is not prey to every temptation
TO political irregularity, and why, even when
it is afflicted with some slight i'll, it easily
throws it of and goes with its work. The
people trust 1t because they know that it gives
them faithful service and will not, like the
Democracy, contract and threaten to infect the
nation with every dangerous and disgusting dis
ease with which it can come in contact "The
Times" is right The difference between the
parties is vital-Of blood and constitution. The
Democratic body has a natural affinity for dis
ease germs. The Republican body is full of
phagOcytes.