The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-09-07
FOR YOUNG VOTERS.


FOR YOUNG VOTERS.
Why No Intelligent Young Man Should
Vote the Democratic Ticket.
ANY young man. before he enrolls
himself under the Democratic banner,
should consider seriously this question:
If l join the Democratic party, how
long can l stay with it?" We will as
sumo that, like many young men fresh
from their studies, he is inclined to
free-trade ideas. We will suppose
that he votes the Democratic ticket in
November. ard considers himself a
member of that party. A few weeks
later the Legislature of his State-fOr
this may be true of any State-meets,
and High-License bill or some other
strict temperance measure is intro
duced. He sees his new-found party
rally soiidly to oppose it under the die
tation of the liquor-dealers. He is
vexed and ashamed. He is intelligent,
well-educated and sincere. His con-
scieuce' compels him to oppose the
party he has just joined, and to de-
nounce its action.
Later on, bill for the publication
| and better protection of the ballot is
| introduced. Here again he sees his
party solidly contending against a
measure which probably every consci-
entious voter in both parties wants to
see passed. Again he is vexed and
ashamed. It seems to him that the
,, party leaders are actuated by the low
est motives. pander to the worst classes
of society. and are besides blind to the
| signs of the times. Again he opposes
the party in which he has just enlisted.
Now. does man show good common
sense when he joins party which he
expects to spend most of his time OPP
posing? On most of the great cues
tions Of the day-temperance being
! one of the chief of them-the Demo-
cratic party is as hopelessly wrong as
it was on the slavery question, and it
can no more change its position than it
could with regard to slavery. Even
many who do not agree with Republic
ans in believing that the free-trade ten
dency of the party is its most danger
Gus characteristic, are compelled to
admit that upon moral issues it is ut
terly wrong-headed. Then why have
any thing to do with it? To jump on
a train for the sake of jumping off
again is very slow way cf reaching
ones destination.
Many persons Of this class seem to
think that some mysterious virtue re-
| sides in Mr.. Cleveland, which secures
the country against the perils OF COM
plete Democratic ascendancy. The
record Of his Administration shows
that this confidence is one of those de-
| lusions which are not uncommon in
politics. Many voters who supported
him four years ago have found it out.
But in any event the new voter should
remember that the power behind the
President is that OF the Democratic
party with its old character still I'M
changed. Mr.. Cleveland can not pos
sibly remain in power more than four
years longer; and when he is gone. the
party must fall back again upon the
old set OF leaders whom the American
people distrust.
The notion that this hoary-headed
old sinner, the Democratic party, has
at last been converted. and will now
DO works At for repentance. is no new
thing. When the Democrats of the
South agreed to support MIR. Greeley,
on q platform of universal amnesty
and reconciliation. many of us We're
glad to believe them sincere, and joy
fully hailed the dawn OF better day.
Yet the shocking atrocities by which
the negro vote in the South has been
suppressed were committed many years
afterward. while the most shameless
frauds known in the history OF repub-
lean institutions continue to this day,
and are relied upon TO re-elect Mr..
Cleveland When Mr. Tilden was
nominated there was a class, especially
among the young voters. who believed
that the Democratic party was about
to become a great instrument OF ad-
ministrative reform. 1t was only q
few months before they were over
Whelmed with confusion and shame by
the disclosure Of the cipher dispatches
the vilest political conspiracy in our
history. Those who indulge in similar
dreams about the Democratic party OF
to-day have a like rude awakening be-
fore them. 1t draws to Itself, by a nat
ural attraction, the worst elements,
and can no more change its character
than the leopard can change its spots.