William G. Dieterle Is One Of Our

most enterprising young merchants. He is thoroughly reliable and highly popular with all classes of people. As county clerk he would make a most conscientious official. Should he be elected he would, moreover, have the satisfaction of knowing that in his case the office sought the man and not the man the oflice. No machinations of bosses or packing of caucuses secured his nomination. Men of all parties who love fair play and detest peanut politics will vote for Mr. Dieterle. Importers who are raising euch a hue and cry over the McKinley bill really are much less displeased by that measure than by the customs administration .bill, which passed some time ago. By undervaluations foreign manufactures have managed to evade duties inalarge measure, and thus not only has the government been defrauded of revenue, hut the protected industries have been deprived of that assistance which is due them by statute. Such evils are to be obviated by the board of appraisement, which being strictly-non-partisan and thoroughly competent can fix the real valué on imported goods. Of course the importers are not shameless enough openly to oppose the customs administration bill on that account, and they consequently select as the object of their attacks the McKinley bill, which would be quite ineffectual if the old scheme of undervaluation could still be employed. The humorists are, as a class, thoroaghly conversant with the foibles of human nature. Not only that, but they .have also a farulty of seeing a thing sharply and distinctly. This iact is illustrated by a recent utterance of " Eli Perkins" on the subject of the "force" bilí. Sayshe: "The election bilí simply proteets the right of every citizen, black or white, to cast bis vote and have it counted. If there is no opposition to this honest vote and honest count, then there will bc no íorce. The law against murder is a forcé law to the murderer The election bilí will forcé a few disbonest w hites of the South to be honest. It does not forcé the honest man, it proteets him. If elections have been honest in the South, as the southern demócrata assert and the northern democrats politely assent, then the election bill will make no change. But the poor negro soldier, who fought for the republic, bas not been allowed to vote, and when he has voted his vote has been stolen. The rights of the black man have been stroyea lor twenty years, and now wnen thestrongarniofthegoverninentreaches out to protect him, when the nation is about to say to the vote stealers, 'Stand back and letthisman have hisrights' - I say, when tliis isdone.how strange that even a preacher of the Gospel shouïd stand up and teil intelligent Christians that the nation is 'destroying the rigbts of man.' The election bill destroys the rights of no man. It destroys the wroags of the vote stealerand protects the rights of man. Forcé? Yes, the election bil! will force men to be honest. The law against munter forces the murJerer nol tokill." I a county or city election, politics has no legitímate place whatever. A man's views on the question of free trade or protection can in no wise affec his success as custodian of public fundb or as preserver of the public peace The personal fitness of the candidato 8hould be the only crilerion upon which ;he voter bases his choice. If there is reason tobelieve that the candidate bas secured his nomination by questionable means, it is the duty of every good man to vote for a more unobjectionabl e person. In a congressional or presidential election the case is different. Issues, and not men, are tbere the most important eonsiderations. All this is said with proper restrictions. A representative o congress sbould not, of course, be a convictedhorse-thieformurderer. Capt. Allen is neitber of these. He has. it is rue. made many promises, which cerain honorable men claim he has never performed- but notwithstanding this, ie is, even with respect to personal character and fitness, far above his democratie competitor. But the main point is this. If Capt. Allen is elected, lis vote will be cast for the preservation of the protective eystem, if Mr. Gorman is elected, his vote will be cast for the e-tablishment of free trade. Here is a case in which "I'm a republican " is the very best of reasons for supwrting the party candidate. And yet ,he wily Argus is trying to persuade republican voters to vote against republicanism - simplybecause Mr. Allen is not as The Register admits) an ideal candidato, lts editor will flnd that repubican voters are too intelligent to be caught by any such chaff as that, for hey have learned by long experience o close their ears to demagogie appeals from the enemy.