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Show Edttors "Roast "Randy. When W. Randy Hearst first broke the news to the awe-stricken public that he would courteously courte-ously accept the Democratic nomination for President, Pres-ident, eastern editors exhibited adult signs of mirth mingled with some fairly good natured sarcasm. sar-casm. But in a few short months times have changed. Randy, with his customary Western energy and a nerve that would abash a lion-hunter, has affected a tremendous organization that reaches into almost every state in the Union, and the editors who scoffed a few weeks ago are now thoroughly alarmed over the magnitude and extent of the machinery the redoubtahle Randy has been able to set In operation. They have also learned that the enterprising premier of modern newspaperdom has been able to impress upon the laboring mn of the country a firm conviction of his utter greatness and of his limitless friendliness to the man who tolls. The Democratic editors have consequently become be-come virulently obstreperous towards Mr. Hearst and the young newspaper monarch of princely estates es-tates has survived more attacks of late than any volts of abuse that were ever unloaded for the electrocution of Mr. Bryan. The same editors also realize that Randy's assets are of considerable extent and that the family of Hearst would be willing will-ing to spend the last sesterce to have Randy nominated nom-inated and elected. One of the eastern papers most violently opposed op-posed to Mr. Hearst is the New York Evening Post, which recently covered one of its usually ponservativa columns with whole 'cargoes of wrath. We had felt it to be one of those things, says the Post, referring to his candidal, that "need much washing to be touched," and had hoped that its grotesque and humiliating aspects would put him out of consideration by all but the bought and cotton. But It is evident that his unblushing campaign cam-paign based, as a Democratic senator has said, purely upon "cheek and a check book" is making some headway. Hearst stands today, in fact, as the greatest temptation to the Democratic party to play the fool and break its neck again. Almost any other candidate prominently mentioned would have a chance of election, and could preserve honor even in defeat; but Hearst is enough to sink any cause and damn any party. The possibility of his securing the nomination which decent men can contemplate only with a shudder depends wholly upon ignorance of the man and his methods. Hence the duty of a public warning betimes. It Is not simply that we revolt at Hearst's huge vulgarity; at his front of bronze; at his shrieking unfitness mentally, for the offlce which he sets out to buy. All this goes without saying. There has been a case of a man of such slender intellectual equipment, absolutely without experience in offlce, impudently flaunting his wealth before the eyes of the people and saying: "Make me president." This is folly. This is to degrade public life But there is something darker and more fearful behind. It is well known that this man has a record which would make it impossible im-possible for him to live through a presidential campaign such gutters would be dragged, such sewers laid open! We can only refer to the loathsome loath-some subject. Let those who want a hint of the repulsive details turn to the Congressional Record of January 8, 1897. There they will find a speech by Representative Johnson of California showing the kind of a millstone which would be hung about Hearst's neck if he were ever to come before the voters. We have not yet reached the point where we qan be indifferent to the spectacle of an aspirant for our highest offlce being an Alcibiades without talent or courage or personal charm, and with little but profligacy to entitle him- to the name. We are convinced that it is only necesasry to set forth the facts in order to make an end of this BI$iJS 1 llilM m unspeakable candidacy. Hearst's record will KM IP! W, m crush him as soon as it is known. It is, obviously, BtM llH K better for the party, better for the nation, that it .tlpl ' ,l i liP 1 should be known before the convention. . After- - Riil-fi ' H 1 1 fa I wards, it would be too late for the party that illiilin m nominated him to save even its honor. It Is not i'fj 1 n Question of policies, but of character. An agl- Hrl!i m tator wo can endure; an honest radical we can Hi 1! V ;' !n i suspect; a fanatic we can tolerate; but a low -H'-i I ; f!8 w voluptuary trying to sting his jaded senses to a -B ' kk II B H fresh thrill by turning from private to public B'- ' It $111 il corruption, is a new horror in American politics. B will! 9 ra 7 set ne ieel of contempt upon it must be the Si IpiiliH H impulse of all honest men. H IL 111 ! i |
