Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-01

think they would be content If they
possessed a fortune; others feel that
they would be inexpressibly happy If
they owned a newspaper; some take
naturally and happily to the writing
OF historical novels. some to poetry,
some to the race track, some to base
ball.
After pointing out that while the
aspirations and tastes of some are I'M
reasonable and extravagant, the aspir-
atoms, ambitions and tastes of others
are such as they are able to crafty
without injury to themselves or their
fellows. the Inter Ocean goes on to
say:
I'm our rational mood we cannot
help feeling that if one has a notion
which he can afford to fondle, and
which does not in any way intrude
upon the rights of other notionals, it
is his privilege to indulge it. 1t is in
this mood, in this spirit, that we
should view William Randolph Hearst
and his Independence party.
"The ambition of this gentleman
life has been to own a national politi-
cal convention, and his desire for it
has been as legitimate every whit as
the desire of the entomologist to
chase bugs. If it has been more than
an aspiration, If it has become pas
sion, nevertheless it has been his
right to satisfy the yearning, particu-
larry since he is able to pay his bills.
He might have taken part in other
national conventions, of course; so
could other men take trips in other
mems automobiles admire other men s
paintings, read other mems historical
novels. But, like all ambitious men,
all men of Independent spirit, all men
of masterfu1 intellect, Mr. Hearst has
chosen to become the absolute and ex-
elusive proprietor and operator of his
own notion, his own national political
convention, and not one of us can
properly question his right to take
| this course.
| ut is toward this end that all Mr.
Hearst's previous efforts have tended
J For this reason did he flash his au
rora borealian belt of sunrise, noon
home, flreside, hearthstone and mid
night editions across our horizon.
/ ut was with a view to satisfying
eventually this craving that he has
connected our meridians of longitude
with Farsonian stripes and plaids and
despatched our national sky with pink
cardinal, ultramarine. lavender
orange and green ink.
ut was to the end that the time
might come when he could picture
himself in his own newspapers walk
ing down the center aisle of his own
national political convention amidst
nine-minute ovation that he has tax
en- care of the regular pay rolls be
sides retaining Ella Wheeler Wilcox
and Beatrice Fairfax through all these
years.
"And now he has had his own ma
tional political convention. He has
been ovated in his own national polit
ical convention. He has been snap
shotted in his own national political
convention by his own newspapers. He
has appointed his own committees
adopted his own platform, nominated
his own ticket, and is ready to rur
his own national political campaign.
The Inter Ocean draws the conclu
i sion that while some of us might no
care for this sort of thing, some Of us
might not like the expense of it
some of us would prefer to enjoy our
selves in some other way, it is VIII
liam Randolph Hearst's way and he
should be conceded the right to have
4 his own kind of fun.