The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-18


the explanation must be found In
the fact that in the slow, but general
moral advance, certain men lag III
tie behind the rate of progress OF the
community as a whole, and where
their own real or fancied Interests
are concerned, such men fail to rec
ognize generally accepted standards
OF right and wrong until long after
they have been recognized by the
majority of their fellows. There was
q period when piracy and wrecking
were esteemed honorable occupations.
and long after the community as a
whole had grown to reprehend them
there were still backward persons
who failed to regard them as i'm
proper In the same way. as late as
thirty years ago. there We're many
men in public life who, while they
would refuse to receive bribe, did
not think it Objectionable 10 give a
Lribe: although now the sentiment
il! the community has grown 50
s,rona that it is no longer possible
10 excuse the bride giver any NOR
,ban the bribe-taker. In the same
way. ,hern are still! in certain parts
Il hi, country representatives of a
,i:.Ss far from uncommon a quarter OF
!, century ago. class which regard,
I'm election as a game without rules
in which it is merely a sign Of clever
I.",s 10 swindle and cheat. Evidently
HE majority of the men whose ac-
tons We complain of on the national
committee still occupy this attitude
toward nominations. although som ,
OF them may have passed beyond il,
as regards election But on the COM
mittee, and associated with the men
who assume to be respectable, there
are certain representatives of Nj.
Taft whose presence gives us cause to
wonder whether there are not far
worse influences behind the action OF
the committee than any at which
have guessed. Mr.. Stevenson. of COL
Orado, has appeared on the commit
tee. now holding the proxy OF one OF
Mr. Tafts delegates. now that OF an
other Judge Ben b. Lindsey. in his
book, The Beast and the jungle.
has given IA very graphic account o.
Mr.. Stevenson political activities IN
Denver | may greatly wish that ev-
cry decent man in this country cv-
cry plain rieht-thinking citizen. who
IS in doubt as to what the representa-
tives of Mr. Taft have done on III,
r; tiOnal committee, would read thi.
book OF Judge I.indscy's. In especial
let him study the part in which
Judge Lindsey refers to Mr.. Steven.
son. and then let him think for him
self Just what il means when Mr.
Taft and his associates accept thu
help of Mr.. Stevenson and impOr;
him from his own state of Colorado
to act for other states on the ma.
t!onal committee. in which one OF
the ablest men engaged in the move.
ment to rob the people of their RICH,
tv rule themselves.
Our opponents here In Chicago to
day have waged such a bitter and un.
scrupulous fight for the very reason
that this is no ordinary fractional
contest. The big bosses who cOntro
the national committee represent no.
merely the led captains of mercenar,
politics. but the great crooked finan'
cicrs who stand behind these led cap
tains. These political bosses are oh
noxiOus in themselves, but they ar,
even more obnoxious because the.
represent privilege in its most sOrdi,
and dangerous form The majority
of tho national committee, in decid
ing tn" cases before them. hav" prac
ticcd political theft in every form
from highway robbery to peti, lar
ccny and political theft. is As disaon
est as aud more damaging than or
binary theft There is no law I,
reach the offcnsc they have commit
ted. but morally these offences ar,
far more serious from the standpoint
of national interest than any of m,
ordinary commercial or political Of
lenses which expose the perpetrator,
10 be brought before the courts oi
justice.