Public opinion in this democracy of ours is not always consistent. It forces the enactment of presidential primary laws, which provide a vast machinery that must be lubricated by much money. Nobody can get through its intricacies and achieve a nomination unless he expends much of his own money or somebody else's money. And now it has been shown that Governor Lowden spent several hundred thousand dollars of his own money, and General Wood and Senator Johnson spent several hundred thousand dollars of other people's money, a great hue and cry is raised.

Public opinion has prevented congress from purchasing adequate embassies in the great capitals of the world. The salary paid an ambassador is not enough to meet the rent of a decent home in London, Paris or Rome. Therefore, wealthy men who are willing to spend their own money on the decencies of diplomatic appearances are, as a rule, appointed to our very expensive jobs in the capitals abroad. Any man of moderate means would emerge from such an office impoverished. And then public opinion cries out that a poor man never holds a high diplomatic commission from this land of the free.

Out of much public clamor seldom comes much consistency. --Cincinnati Times-Star.