Willmar tribune., 1908-10-07

~ ~SoAsOAAN0V ">s>ASAA9 SsAA~ 80
the party in whether, in
word, it is possible, short of some
cataclysm, to reach a change of
parties in Washington.
The old, historic democratic par
ty had sixty years of power. to
make it's exit the signal for a~sec-
tional war. Even then the opposi-
tion only crept in thru breach.
The republicans have been in now
nearly fifty years. If we cannot
peacefully remove them, what may
we not look for when their time of
exit comes? Maybe a civil war.
But should not the people take time
by the forelock-should not public
opinion rear back on it's hind legs
should not the average citizen 60
to the polls to exercise his intelli-
gence and his voition before it is
too late?
The Observation-Disclosures in
cident is an object lesson of tre-
mendous reach. From start to fin
ish it is thoroly bad. One is at a
loss just where to place the burden
of blame. The purchase Of stolen
letters, the shameless use of these,
their damaging disclosures--quite
ruinous in the light they throw up
on the character of certain public
men, as upon the prevailing meth
DDS of transacting the business of
the time, official and otherwise
make a darksome picture, and yet.
on the other hand. this picture is
hardly more depressing and dis
couraging than the exhibition of
rank hypocrisy and cant which the
revelations have occasioned in that
holy of holes, the armed camp of
Roosevelt, Taft and Hughes, virtue
mongers in ordinary and manufac-
turers of tin plate god and moral
ity.
We have all known for years that
such things were doing. The
trouble has been that we could
catch no one with the goods upon
them, the work of corruption was
done so cleverly. Foraker seems
but the victim of circumstances.
The republican woods are still left
full Of Itandard Oil attorneys, -
both in and out of Congress-, of
Sugar Ring "attorneys," of Steel
Trust "attorneys," posing as states
men. What IS Can but trust
"attorney?" What else is Aldrich
They have syndicated the govern.
ment. Why balk at Foraker?
The Ohio Senator admits that he
did act for a time as an attorney
for the Standard Oil Company; that
this was not in contravention of his
duties as Senator; that his service
antedates the move Of the govern
ment against Standard Oil; that he
was we'll paid for his professional
skill, was proud as we'll as glad to
have had such a client, and, being
a practising lawyer, he did only
what any and every other lawyer
would have done, seeing no manner
Of wrong in the transaction. This
is in all likelihood the exact and
literal truth.
It seems that the thief who had
stolen the discriminating letters and
sold them to Hearst knew what he
was about, and that Hearst, like an
expert sensationa]ist, held out one
of them for an after shot. This in
closed no less a sum than $4,000 in
the form Of a Standard Oil draft
sent by Archbold to Foraker, and
straightway the Senator explains
that it related to a newspaper deal
which fell thru. Mr.. Foraker ap-
pears to think that there was moth
ing amiss in such matter, tho in
volving the secret sale of an infu-
ential public journal and it's cor
rupt conversion from one side to
another; all of which makes un.
savory reading.
Yet the Senator's environment
seems more at fault than his char.
acter. Personally an upright and
a clean man, a brave young soldier
in time of war-in time of peace
rather too free with fire alarms,
yet, withal, a good neighbor and q
good citizen and a good friend-it
is not wise public policy to have
him ruthlessly slaughtered upon the
altars of party necessity, leaving
leaders ten times guiItier-if he be
guilty at ALTO rattle around ir
gutta percha wings and robes Of
} painted ermine. The republican
party is the real cu'prit. Thr,
forty years that party has been the
attorney" of every scheme which
has appeared at Washington having
a graft big enough to tempt tn,
Steering Committee of the Senat,
and the Rules Committee of tn,
House; from high tariff, always a
the front, to high finance, seeking
monopoly in every known commo
dity-sugar, steel, iron enrichinl
> republican statesmen and making
, mockery of popular interests.
, The Senate is crowded with trus
> attorneys. Hence the universal de
} mand for the election of Senator