The Ketchikan miner., 1908-11-21


 that it is the majority which has tri- umphed, grave doubts arise as to the wisdom of majorities. Is 1t the fact that the majority has won proof that tine majority is always, or even, right? What will become of u @ country if in this instance it is wrong? We think we can point to a ray of Tn the experience of riend who shall be nameless. This friend was of party which had been in power time out of mind. It had chosen President after President until seemed as if it could never fail to
 moose the President; if it did, the
 feet would be like that of the earth turning back on its axis and going m for night instead of day, some .nurning. During the canvass there ae many signs that gave the other party hopes, but our friend knew them to be false hopes, mockeries, illusions. All the better if they lured that party to final destruction, and put an end to its vain opposition. But when the election came it appeared that the other party had won. At first our friend would not, could not, believe it. He passed through all the stages of waiting for the official count, and when this sided against him he had a sleepless night. He felt ashamed for his country, and with the conviction that such country was not worth saving he tasted a bitter joy in its perdition. Towards morning light dawned upon him, a reason for things appeared from the chaos. It was not an enemy who had done this; it was his greatest friend. the best friend of mankind: it was the American people.
 Something like the hope that then soothed his breast and lulled him to the sweetest morning nap he ever knew, will remain the consolation of whichever party is beaten in the con- flict now raging around us with drums and trumpets, and smokeless, though not noiseless, powder. The victor in any case cannot fail of being the American people, level of head. hon. est of heart. just of will. This candi- date, or the candidate, may go down the worse candidate, or the better candidate, may be exalted; but so long as the people remain true to themsevles, DO harm is done. It is they who succeed whichever minority of them fails. Or, in an error of a really deplorable nature is commit ed it is not for all time it is not for the lifetime of some miscreant. II another four years we shall have another Presidential election.
 l In the mean time we are certai nly behaving much better, much more like civilized people than we used tt behave in these periods of national convulsion. The spectacle which vt l so epieptical as it once was. There is much less foaming at the mouth much less cursing and swearing thar there used to be, say at the time O Washington second election, ol i Linclon's. We cannot believe tha either of the gentlemen now compet ing for the Presidency is honester ol truer than those patriots, but we must see that they are not popularly fount worthy of so much reproach ol obloquy. They are certainly being ;
 good deal caricatured, but even tht caricaturists do not despise or abhol them in the old way. We certainl , expect to be ruined if the wrong mar is chosen, but we are not very read, to lay our hands on our hearts and de clare from our conscience that we think the wrong man is fiend ir human shape.
 This is great advance and man. countries in which the chief magis. trates, like the poets, are born, nol made, might take example from us, in their parliamentary elections. The other eye, which we wink in pri. vate, has not been publicly strained to bloodshot redness by the vehem- ence of our political passions. There seems every promise of peaceful, even a loving acquiescence in the ruin which one half of us know is awaiting US if the other half wins. No doubt the other half will be con- soied if our half trinmphs to the des- .truction, the 6gurative destrution, of our country and again we note that being defeated is not like being dead, is not for long time."
 Chairman J. R. Mann of the select cOrlpressiOnal committpe aDt,Ointed to