The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-02-12
EDITOR BATES AND CANDIDATE
BATES.

EOiIOH BAL ANU CANDiOA {
BATES.
It Is remarkable how inebriating
the virus of the political bee becomes
when it socks its singer into some
subjects. Mark Bates, the capable
and usually sensible editor of the
Parma Herald, is the latest and most
pronounced example of the democrat
izing effects of recklessly tampering
with the business end of this ambit-
ious bee. Mr.. Bates recently an
nounced his candidacy for the demo
cratic nomination for congressman to
take the place of Burton l.. French,
who was reinoculated by the same
insect sting a year or two ago, and
has since left nothing undone In his
efforts to get himself in line for
drawing the more munificent salary
OF U. 8. senator. Since the afore
eaid editor uncovered his ambitious
designs to the public gaze, he has al
so changed his manner of conduct to-
ward the public and his brother edi
tors Of the republican percussion. 1t
would seem. as we'll as his name
Like Saul of Tarus when he saw the
light and became Paul, the editor has
also changed his name, and instead
Of being plain Mark Bates, the coun-
try editor, he Is now known as Mar
Gus Aurelius Bates, candidate for con-
gress. And In keeping with the dig
nifty of the newly assumed RESPONSE
bilities, Marcus Aurelius, at once
jumps full armored into the political
arena and adopts the discursive and
combative role, drawing his erstwhile
republican editorial friends upon the
carpet In the calcium light of his
scintillating wit and catechising them
as to the acts of themselves and their.
party and tries to cover them with
humiliation and contumely. Just why
man who has been a pretty decent
editor, even though q democratic edi-
tor. and has at times shown ration
al periods tempered with a modicum
Of fair mindedness In dealing with
political differences, should, the min
ute he feels the political needle
glide under his epidermis for the first
time, begin to throw mid-air summer
saults and to gyrate lie unto a newly
shot "hop fiend," Is the point under
discussion. Isn't a sensible newspa-
per man who is trying to tell the
truth about things which interest
and concern" the public and Is hon
estly endeavoring to lead the way
out from among some Of our troub-
lous conditions, far more dignified,
important and respectable figure be-
fore the world than the man who for
sakes this honorable calling for the
equally precarious, and far more ques-
tionable one of office seeking? Most
assuredly. And the place where Mar
Gus Aurelius comes short Is in ad-
uniting anything to the contrary,
thereby demeaning himself and low
ering the standard of the profession.
We are fearful that Marcus has made
q sad II not disgraceful mistake In
trying to transmogrify decent, re-
spectacle newspaper scribe, into a
palavering, transforming, political
Pharisee, who laboring under the i'm
preston that to win the favor and
applause of waiting public he must
galvanize or electrify and finally cap
tivate the aforesaid public with his
own unequalled briliancy, wisdom and
wit, regardless of whether his ebul
litiops are founded ON fact, or are
simply highly colored, distorted
fancies.
Among the first acts of Marcus
the candidate, was to call to account
his neighbor and brother editor, Ned
Jenness, of the Nampa Leader Herald
for talk he made before the state
grange, in which he undertook to seq
regate the taxes of Canyon county,
and show just what sums went into
the various channels, and who was
responsible for the levying of the
same. We give this as an example
of what an otherwise fairly sensible
editor will do and say, when laboring
under what we hope in this case may
be only temporary mental ALBERTA
ton cauesd from an over dose of pol
itical hypo; and hope that this case
may prove a timely and effective
warning to the other boys who may
be dallying with the seductive polite
al siren and summing themselves in
her intoxicating but delusive smiles.
Marcus says: HE tells you of act
ual conditions but he does not tell
you that he knows we'll that the par
ty he represents is actually and abb