The Semi-weekly leader., 1910-10-26


political curiosity. II use the
language Of Senator Depew il is
unique.
AS q study of the distractions 1T
Is interesting to see how Mr..
Alexander is politically handicap
ped
Il On the one hand, he defends
the caucus. that was the scene Of
his own political defeat and dis
com6ture. he places himself in pre-
ciseiy the same position as that oc-
cupied by Mr.. Percy. who stands
as its avowed and commissioned
champion, and if there is a need
for vicarious sufferer in the cause
of the CAUCUS, there is no apparent
necessity for two vicarious caucus
victims. On the other hand, if
Mr.. Alexander should attack the
methods employed for Senator
Percy's caucus nomination, he will
put himself on Governor Varda-
mans side of that issue, and the
exigencies of the political situation
do not require a second leader in
the person Of Mr.. Alexander. to
lead the people in their fight
against the caucus bunch. Gov
ernor Vardaman is equal to the re-
quirements Of the occasion.
Mr.. Alexander is. accordingly,
shy on the caucus issue, and he
only repeats. in perfunctory way,
the many times exposed and ex.
ploded dictum Of Hon. Fl. M. Street
that the caucus was regular, and
according to the time -honored pre-
cedents of the Democracy.
We do not know how deeply Mr..
Alexander is versed in the philoso-
ply of casuistry, or in the ethics
of political procedure, but he
ought to know. as lawyer, that
motive, purpose, and intention en-
ter largely in all questions of q
moral nature, whether in private
or public life. Mr.. Alexander
should see the force of the logical
fact that the end to be accomplish
led, the methods employed for Its
accomplishment, and, above all.
that motive and purpose. are to be
taken into account in applying a
moral test to all human action and
conduct.
Let us be honest with, each other,
and in this spirit we will ask Mr..
Alexander if Senator George, OF
Senator Lamar, or Senator Wal
thall, or any United States Senator
from Mississippi was ever elected
by a REORGANIZATION caucus,
operating under the combination
of a secret ballot and a Gibbs Reso-
luton, and manipulated byaa COM
mon cause steering committee, all
bent on the defeat of one candidate.
Did he ever before hear of a gov
ernor of the State of Mississippi
going into such cabal and in
trigue, carrying the executive
patronage of the State as his asset
for the common capital stock of the
joint concern? Did he ever hear
of play with the patronage Of q
Republican National administration
for the political and partisan ends
of a common cause Democratic
caucus?
We will answer these questions
for the benefit Of the public. if not
for Mr.. AIexander's information.
No such performances were ever
Il. :. . = . J
heard Of in the political history Of
the State. It was reserved for the
common.cause combination Of 1910.
to contrive and exhibit these un-
precedented and. ..inde defensible meth
ods.
Mr.. Alexander's defence of the
caucus, we must characterize as
half hearted and perfunctory: but
as far as it goes it is an encroach-
ment on the prerogatives Of Senator
Percy, who is the chosen champion
of the caucus bunch. Percy is the
chosen one, while Alexander is the
eliminated one.
If we are permitted . suggestion
within the limits Of polite manners,
we might say to Mr.. Alexander.
who is a debutant, that there are
other questions. There is the tar
iff, the science Of. government. the
genius Of republics. and the profess
sIonal ethics Of corporation retain
ers, and then there are the monopo-
lies and the trusts. These afford 4
broad field for general disserta-
tions, with a liberal margin for
oratoricaI display
We are inclined, after all, to the
opinion that these questions are
both diverting and innocuous.