The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-23
Working Between the Lines.

One of the hopeful signs fora Republican VIC
tory next year is the anxiety of men who have
been operating between the lines for several years
advice to the Republican leaders as to how they
can surely win. Our old friends George Perkins
and Victor Murdoch. are not the only betwixt and
between statesmen who are telling the Republicans
just what they must do. A Mr.. or Rev. w. H.
Anderson, who emigrated from Egypt in Illinois
TO New York to save the Empire State by warn
ings that not needed by Sodom, and who APP
pears to represent every shade of politics except
that of the Republican party has come to the
front to warn the Republicans that they must
treat Bill Barnes as Jonah and throw him over
board. They cannot carry the nation without
New York, and they cannot carry New York and
Bill Barnes at and the same time This is a
serious warning, and the only thing left for Bill
Barnes appears to be to support Woodrow Wilson
He was beaten in his libel suit against Col Roose-
welt, was beaten in the constitutional convention
by Senator Root and Gen. Wickershan, and con-
tinued to take his medicine and vote The Repub-
lican ticket But the sanity Anderson demands
that Barnes shall be denied that poor privilege if
the party wishes to be saved. He confesses that
the truly good people in New York liked that new
constitution, but voted against it because Bill
Barnes member of the convention and finally
voted for it, after he had been run over by it.
That one vote defled the work of the convention
so that Mr. Anderson could not permit the peo-
pie to adopt it and live under it.
Mr.. Anderson appears to belong to a class pos
sessed of such delicately, adjusted political con-
sciences that they can trade off convictions for
puritanical IDEAS and still be unable to understand
hey iuSt 9TH
are willing to become Republicans if they can make
the name stand for something that has always
been foreign to the party Bill Barnes is not the
only Jonah in the eyes of these betwixt-and-
between exhorters Of political salvation They can
see victory only with Root and Weeks and Bur-
ton and Fairbanks and every other Republican who
has remained in the ranks, passed over, old prin-
ciples abandoned, and the party retaining nothing
but the name.
1t is sad but encouraging spectacle, indcat-
ing the anxiety Of the betwxt- dbetween fellows
to get hold of the tailgate of the bandwagon that
appears to be leading the procession. They helped
to defeat the Republican party three years ago and
are now feeling the pangs ofsregret, but still have
enough Falstaffian nerve to warn the Republican
leaders to guard against mistakes that will prevent
them from riding with the triumphal procession.
What was it Victor Hugo said about the men who
operated between the lines IN war, robbing the
wounded and despoiling the dead? Whatever it
was it probably reflected the sentiments of good
many men who have convictions in politics.
We extend sympathes to the men who
have been operating between the lines in politics
and who are now watching the signs of the times
as they are watching the actions of the beavers
to see whether it is to be another hard winter.
They may prophesy like Ezekiel, who has been
resurrected, and advise like Mr.. Anderson, but
they will receive scant attention from the men
who do not operate between the lines. Bill Barnes
may have been humblcd into contrition by his de-
feats, or he may be stifnecked, like the big up
standing he is, but Mr.. Anderson really asks
too much when he insists that Barnes shall cease
to be Republican and decline to vote the old
ticket Somebody ought to present Mr.. Anderson
with bottle OF grape juice to go with his political
piffe. We only know him by his publicity bureau
but shouldn't be surprised if he drove some of
the old line Republicans of New York to start
a boom for Bill Barnes for President, on a plat
form. Barnes the Bugaboo to Bumtouous Bump
kins," just to have some old-fashioned Halloween
fun and brighten these political Fallstaffs SO that
they would never dare approach the Republican
reservation.