Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-04-25
THE CONVENTION.
The Air Already Full of the Signs of vi

- -
Within two months from now the duly
chosen representatives of the voting rank
and file of Democracy will be turning their
footsteps toward St Louis and the eyes
and the minds of the Nation will turn with
them.
St Louis will be the center of interest for
the whole country, and the proceedings of
our convention viii eclipse in importance
the rival gathering at Chicago.
The air is full of signs and premonitions
Of Democratic victory The stars in their
courses fight for Democratic success, and it
is hardly conceivable that any new issue of
the times should interfere with the expect
I'd triumph.
That triumph is necessary forthe best well
fare Of tho country. A great point was gained
says the Cleveland PlGiI Daa.er, when the
election of a Democratic President dem
onstrated the power of the people to
make change. One great evil disappeared
from the face of politics when it was shown
that all the oficc-holding influence and pres
tige was insufficient TO prevent change
when the vote of the people demanded it.
Much was done, but much remains to be
done. The Republican party was defeated
because it deserved TO be defeated; but it
was defeated by narrow majority, and 1t
deserves a second defeat, because it has
learned nothing, gained nothing by adver-
sity.
1t is the mission of the Democratic party
to demonstrate again that al power is in
the hands Of the people 1t is it's mission
to demonstrate this not by narrow major
its in pivotal State, but by verdict of
which the meaning will not be mistaken.
The Democratic party still has before it
the great uncompleted work of asserting
the supremacy of the people over the money
power, the public corporations and the
monopolies. 1t has to emphasize the tri-
umph OF patriotism over sectional hate and
partisan spirit. 1t has TO legislate the need
less surplus out of existence; to restore the
proceeds of unnecessary taxation to the
pockets of the people, where it belongs. 1t
has to rebuke the spirit of Capitalization
which taxes the people to raise surplus
and encourages extravaganza to get rid of
the surplus. 1t has to restore the true re-
lation between the people and their servants,
so long obscured by the arrogant imperial
ism of Republican oppression.
This is the work to be done by the conven-
ton at ST. Louis, and in comparison with
the grandeur and far-reaching beneficence
of its results how petty are the personal
| interests at stake, how unimportant the
| differences of opinion among the Demo-
ctats! What does it matter that one Demo
crat is a Civil-Service reformer and another
is a spokesman! Or that good Democrats
| honestly differ as to the extent to which
we may safely go in reforming the tariffi
The great work of the convention will be
to harmouize the Democracy, not to divide
| it; to consolidate its strength, not to empha-
size its divisions; to insist upon the essen
tials and to ignore minor questions, to widen
the party and build it up, not to break it
down by narrowing it in any direction; to
give to the Nation at large the evidence that
the Democracy is the truly National party,
and that it is broad enough TO gather in its
fold all friends of patriotism, of economy,
of reform and of government by the people.
That is what we SHOULD look forward to
when we think of the great event which
will make the coming month of June in St.
| Louis memorable in the history of the
country forever. This, and nothing less
than this, will satisfy the hopes and ex-
pectations with which the millions Of honest,
unselfish Democrats await the opening of
| the convention.