The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-06-20
Odd Political Happenines

DR.. Johnson surprised Boswell by
saying that if the history of England
was written in so condensed a form
as Biblical history, events being Civ
en- without any explanations, it would
be as much questioned as the Bible
has been. The statement is power
full one, and might be tested in our
own land.
Suppose that a man should write
down without any explanation that
Alexander Hamilton crushed Presi-.
dent of his party and elected jeff
erson whom he hated to the Presi-
dency; that Jefferson's greatest
achievement was to buy land IN
avowed defiance of his Constitutional
views. that the Federalist party died
IN 1914, and yet that Federalist, John
Marshal was the Strongest man in the
country twenty years later; that some
of the best speeches made for Pro
lection were made by John G.. Cal
houn who went so far In resisting
Protection as to endanger his neck;
that the Wing party elected man
who had not voted for twenty years
because he had won victories in war
the Wing party opposed; and that
| the first candidate of the Republi-
cans for the Presidency was the SON
in-law of Andrew Jackson's right
hand in politics-all this jumbled to-
gether would be mystfying. Think
! ing over it all becomes clear, but it
takes "a little thought.
Starting afresh with the civil war
! it Nigh be confusing to read that Lin
coin began his Administration by
pledging himself to enforce the Fugi-
tive Slave Law; and that Rob E. Lee
set free all his father-in-law's slaves;
that the most ardent advocate of col
ored troops was Butler, who had vot
ed ifty-f1ve times for the nomination
of Jefferson Davis; that the old Abol
itionists generally went over to the
Democratic party; that Robert j.
Walker of Mississippi, urged Adolf
ton and delivered a furious speech
against Davis; that Alexander H. Ste
phens lived to pay tribute to Lin
coin; and that, Ulysses S. Grant ex-
erted his influence to make it posi-
BILE to elect brigadiers from the
South to Congress. These assertions
without any connection might sur
prise persons who recognize their
truth.
To say that no one disputed Grow
er Cleveland's sweep of 1872, 900 in
1882, but that his plurality of LOAF
in 1884 is a matter of doubt might
SCdfClo 1OTS1Sn-DOEH TOdO0T. II H4SHC
not be clear to some that Horace
Greeley who started the call on to
Richmond was the Horace Greedy. who
signed the bail bond of Jefferson Da-
Wis; or that the best known Free
Traders of the country voted for the
author of the Mckinley Tariff or that
McKinley's reciprocity speech was
quoted as a withdrawal from his Pro
testion attitude; or that men who had
gone to war on the issue that State
might withdraw from the Union would
support nation-wide Prohibition; or
that Tariff passed to increase impor-
tations would be largely nullified by
after events; or that the President re-
eleced in 1916 would ask his oppon-
ent to conduct the most important
single investigation of the time.
Lies actual occurrences, if woven
together in thought or written out in
logical form are ofen as consecutive
as the numbers in a risin scale; but
stated abruptly the history of any ma
ton might be as difficult to under
stand as any event in the chronicles of
ancient srael.-Camden (N.J.) Post
Telegram. 5.2O.18.