The Washington times., 1908-09-23
A Time TO Keep Cool.

campaign enters on its last stage with
the certainty that there will be no lack
OF interest from this time forth.
1t is worth while to inquire why in
ertness should so suddenly have been
converted into alertness; why intense
interest should have succeeded an APP
parently utter lack of concern. The
answer tells the story of this cam
Paign.
Appeal has suddenly been made to
the public interest in the moral issues.
The public was waiting for it. 1t grew
discouraged as the campaign progressed.
lest there should be no such appeal.
Details of legislative programs, discus
sion OF the constitutional aspects of
proposals for regulating the trusts, the
Resemblance Of particular tariff
schedules, the abstraction of State
rights as against Capitalization Of pow
er-these things did not reach down
into the cOmmunity's deeps of moral
interest. The mass of people have been
cropping in fog, trying to locate some
thing which might be called ultimate
right, and to escape committing them
selves to ultimate wrong.
Suddenly came the revelations con
corning FOraker's apparent relations as
a Senatorial lobbyist for Standard Oil;
the charges of Mr.. Bryan concerning
corporation contributions to Republican
campaign funds; the accusations that
Governor Haskell, masquerading in the
fleece Of reform, was in truth a wolf
OF corruption and reaction; the DECLARE
ton by President Roosevelt that Has
kell, standing high in Democratic coun-
ellis, peculiarly represented the Demo
cratic party before the country; the
denials by Haskell; the indignant tc1a-
gram OF Mr. Bryan TO Mr. Roosevelt,
demanding either proof or retraction.
These things go 70 the public con
science 1t was dazed at first, then il
was Mortified. The fog was only made
more dense. The uncertainty as to
which way to turn was made more un-
certain. The question came uppermost.
rs anybody, any party, any leadership.
TO be trusted?' Small wonder that
apathy took to the timber, and that
every campaign manager became du-
bious about the acceptabiity of his DO
iticaI assets at the bank of public opin-
ioul
Such an uncertain, befogged, and be
numbed attitude of the public mind
cannot long continue These amazing
things have come to pass at such
stage Of the campaign that 1t is certain
explanations viii be forced. Thinking
people viii get the evidence. The Jury
viii not be sent out until it has the
facts. There viii be time for testimony
and for argument,
Right now is a good time for people
to keep cool, to maintain open minds.
to wait for developments. Mr.. Foraker
is not the Republican party. Cover
nor Haskell is not the Democratic
party This nation Is not corrupt; no
political party is essentially unsound at
heart. The very fact that these de-
velopments of the campaign have
served to arouse SO tremendous an in
terest Is proof of the final soundness
and incOrruptibility of the country.
Senator Foraker has been eliminated
rs a factor in the Republican campaign.
Mr.. Bryan has given assurance that
Governor Haskell, if guilty, will be
eliminated from the Democratic. The
people viii know the approximate
truth, and they viii finally "wabbIe
right"
1t IS too early to conclude which
party suffers most by the revelations
that have been made. The dominating
leadership Of the Republican party has
long been opposed to and opposed bv
Senator Foraker. It's judgment of him
has so far been vindicated. 1t would
seem certain that Taft will be the
stronger in Ohio, at least, by the break
ing down Of his arch-OpPonent. The case
against Governor Haskell has not been
proved, and if proved it would not be
an indictment, much less a conviction,
against the Democratic party.
The nation which stands aghast at
the discovery of examples of corruption
in high place is safe enough. Fifteen
years ago cynical comment would have
represented the sum Of condemnation
passed upon men discovered in such re-
latiOnship as these now charged. To-
day, an aroused public conscience prods
the country to give quick and emphatic
testimony to its execration. It is only
necessary that the people shall not be
swept off their feet and away from the
moorings Of good sense; and the Ameri-
can people can be relied upon to pre-
serve their self-cOntrol