Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-18
White House Mint Bed

White House Mint Bed
Sad indeed, is the story, dark and gloomy the
tidings, that from the White House. Tell it
not In Louisville, neither whisper nor shout it any
where in the land of cotton, for Dixie has troubles
enough already without adding to its cup of discon
tent The White House mint bed, the pride of the
Democracy for than fourscore years. is
more. Planted by the hallowed hand of Andrew
Jackson and surviving even the aqueous iconocasm
Of the Hayes administration it row lies PROSTATE,
Inundated and obscure beneath mound of plebeian
earth. Whose the hand that wrought the havoc is
not known; whose the fecund and malevoent brain
that inspired the Dissertation must remain of
the worlds mysteries.
Secure in the shadow OF the White House for
more than three quarters of century, the mint bed
remained the garden spot Of American Democracy
for the uninterrupted period of generation. Safe
from any unhallowed and despoiling hand while the
traditional Democracy was in power it grew and
dOurished, warming the heart and refreshing the
palate and rejuvenating the olfactoy of
Southern pilgrim who found himself within the gra-
cious zone of its influence. AS long as that bed
basked in the sunshine and shade of q Democratic
President, SO the traditions of the party, Democ
racy would bear charmed life; and Demo.
crate President succeeded another, the pious-
or superst ous-pointed it out the talisman that
had more to do with the of the party at the
polls than any other agency except the quadrennia
pluralities that were rolled up
Then came q time when faith was put to severe
test. The long line Of Democratic Presidents was
broken. The old days passed away and there hove
II sight seemingly endless, array sof Republican
executives, like the Banquo's issue On the blasted
he9tl, to put thorns in the pillow and bitterness
In the cup of the Bourbon Macbeth. But wondrous
to relate, the mint bed remained unspoliated and
the oracle seemed to have made a slight mistake.
The Democratic cup of bitternessas the years went
by and Grant succeeded Lincoln and Johnson and
Garfield succeeded Hayes-held at least one drop Of
sweetness in its lees, and that drop smeled of mint
The garden had long since become a mere fragrant
memory. but suddenly Cleveland came and the old
spell took meaning. Cleveland went and
came again, and then there dawned another era Of
Repubhcansm, with the mint bed undisturbed while
ell the dawning was going on. Mckinley and Roose.
welt and Taft struck blow below the belt by de-
stroying the White House mint bed
And now, in the very house of its friends in tic
administration of "Dixies President the mint bed
has passed away with a few swings of shovel.
Where was once fragrance that permeated as far
south as there Is enough land to hold Democrat,
and as far north and east and west as he might
migrate. there is now but the smell Of common clay
Wherever he may come from, the Democrat who
now goes to Washington must stand sadly beside the
ruin Of what once the very altar of his faith.
Perhaps Republicans, and even Progressive or
two may join him in his lament Only the Prohibit
ZIONIST will "stop UP the access and passage to re-
morse" and refuse to pay to dear memory the poor
tribute of tear.
Thusly has President Wilson tacitly decreed there
shall be no mint julep in the White House.
w j. Bryan, Jr, says he is going into politics.
but not as an officeseeker Can scarcely be called
a, chip of the old block.