The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1912-08-23
THE HOLY CRUSADERS.

ruSaQo. lnere is Une same lOlty lucdi-
SIN, the same disinterested fervor, the
ame spiritual exaltation and the same
lnselfsh, cOnscience-stirring enthusi-
ISM that characterizes great rell-
,iOus awakening. 10 is inspiring in
is spOntaneity and contagious in its
stirring appeal. Even our sluggish.
orpid political perception is quick
4ned by the dynamic force of this pure |
md holy movement Its most tremen- |
luous attraction is unquestionably in
the yirtuous character of it's high |
minded leaders and their straightfor-
" ard and most laudable manuvers.
Some sOrdid, mean-spirited reac-
tionaries have viciOusly attempted to
Islander these leaders by branding
them as bosses. simply because they
have held secret conferences and is
sued orders directing what their fell
lows and their followers should do at
various times. Every candid person,
no matter what his political views may
be, must admit. however, that these
secret conferences have nothing in
common with machine methods and
bOssism. They have been necessary
to guard the new party from the de-
signing Vaccinations of the inter
ests." And. besides. We all know that
star chamber methods and "hole-in-
the wall" conferences are wicked ana
abhorrent only when INDUCED in by
members of the old parties, The very
act of renouncing old party ties and
prOclaiming conversion to the third
termer leadership cleanses the indi-
vidual of all his old political sins and
gives him a new birth of righteous
ness. The fOrmality of political puri-
ficatiOn is just as simple and every
bit as efiicaciOus and enduring as the
remarkable transformations and ref
OrmatiOns periodically wrought by a
Southern negro camp-meeting In fact,
the parallel Is most striking, All that
is necessary to attain this metamOr-
phosis is to jump into the nearest spot
light. gnash your teeth. shout thief,
liar" "malefactOr." sing a parody on
the Doxology or the Battle Hymn of the
Republic and cry out the cabalistic
watchword ArmageddOn and it is done.
Simple, elevating. inspiring. Does it
always work? or course it does. 1t
| is invaluable Look who devised 1t.
No matter how black mans pre-
viOus record may be, he Is incapable
of doing wrong once he enters the new
political fold. That which in "A repub-
lican or democrat is mendaciOus dn-
plicity. in a third termer is the very
persOnificatiOn of virtue. Thus. If i
republican asks for an Office as a pro-
gressive but refuses to support the
| third term candidate for president. ne
is traitor. Il william, scroundrel,
crook, an infidel, yea. even standpat
reactiOnary. If, however. third term
4 a. seeks otilee. 49, repaasa teet 4ilA ~
paragon of purity, a highminded, hon
est sincere, noble patriot.
Some people are so uninlightenet
and depraved as to scoff at the
scramble for Office INDUCED in by the
new party leaders, and even go so far
in their blind cOnceit as to allege that
the controlling motive which animates
those leaders is greedy itch to enjoy
the emoluments thereof Nothing
could be more unjust or farther from
the facts. II is true that PRACTICAL,
all of the third term leaders in this
state are seeking public Office. Dut
their purpose is most cOmmendable
and altogether beyond reproach. They
recognize that the state is facing !;
grave crisis from which they alone
can save 1t. rhey are perfectly dis
Interested and purely unselfsh in their
several candidates.. In fact each and
| every one of them Is making "A ire
meDdouS personal sacrifice in Seek
ing Office. They are doing it, too. with
Il full appreciation OF what the sacri-
nee involves, rs they have held office
nearly all their lives and know what
hardships are involved in maintaining
themselves on the public payroll. No
inner example of self-abnegatiOn was
ever before Witnessed in this state. Not
even in the memorabl" reform cam
paign OF 1896. IT is a tremendous,
overw helming proof of their devotion
TO principle and the unauthorized
moral character of the crusade.
What could be finer than the beauti-
raj example of the gallant colonel,
otto A. Case. auditor of King county
by grace of the republican party. run
nins for governor for the past two
years as the original LaFollette pro-
sressive. proclaiming his deathless
determination to continue in the race,
even II II becomes necessary to call a
convention OF his deputies and have
himself nominated as an independent
Bun Moose. Is not this zeal for a
cause? II borders on fanaticsm. or
course he is a crusader
Equally splendid, and in some re-
spects even more SO is the battle for
votes that is being waged by the
doughty Sheriff Hodge, also of King
county. who is dashing about the state
In somebOdyelse's automobile hunt
ing the gubernatOrial nomination with
a search warrant. He is burning with
sympathy for the common people: un-
selfishly spending his salary as sheriff
IN the quest; fearlessly exposing his
person to the sings and arrows of un
feeling rivals; breaking his party ties
with as little concern as he breaks
FAMILY ties. All to save the people of
this state from the calamity of falling
to enjoy his particular brand of re-
form. Certainly this is a crusade.
Not less ennObling is the dazzling
agility of another crusader. for MANY |
years Il republican Office holder, who. |
the famous Finnigan, has |
Jumped ont of the old party into the |
new, ont of the new back into the old |
and again out of the old into the new.
IN daring, dashing. awe-inspiring |
'Ope dancing effort to attract the elu-
'lVe voter. Nothing could more plain
y evidence progressive reform. The
spirit of the crusade pervades his ev-
Try act and lends agility to his GYM
lastics.
still another. endowed with the new