Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-09-27
DEMOCRACY, AS IT WAS AND Is.
The ManitowOc Pilot, which evil


DEMOCRACY, AS IT WAS AND Is.
The ManitowOc Pilot, which evil
IDENTIFY fights for the right because it is
right, and fights hard at that, says:
"Col Bouck, of Oshkosh, seems to
think there is no show for the democ-
Tacy of this state. But the mold of
age and disuse is on the material from
which the Oshkosh statesman forms
his opinions. He always relied more
upon political maneuver than on a
settled line of policy for victory. The
democracy of the state is now opposed
to that system of tactics. 1t seeks to
merit success through the principles
1t advocates, not to steal a victory
through adroit manipulation.
This new departure seems strange
- the old school which had great deal
Of faith in barter and alliance. The
very thing Bouck complains of was a
natural outcome of the mode of pro-
cedure to which the then leaders were
partial. 1t was search for disaffected
elements, and then platform of
shreds and patches which was de
signed to harmonic discordant fac
tions. The platform was never the
voice of the party, it WAS contract
between leaders of factions. Bouck
was himself anxious to make alliances
of this nature. There were other Rich
monds in the field and Bouck retired
in disgust. There was no party dis
ciplinc because the party was not or
ganized on any basis which made dis
cipline possible.
If BOuck would only come out of
the close atmosphere of the past and
view the democracy of to-day an
imated and unified by high minded
purpose, he would be hopeful instead
of Respondent and his profanity would
change to hallelujahs. No doubt
some of the old fossils will attempt
to harness the democracy with some
temporary craze; but their efforts will
be futile. Democracy is alive, an
mated with hope, and in position to
demand that Mahomet shall come to
the mountain"
To this forcible though truthful
statement OF the case, The Milwaukee
Journal, which is an independent
newspaper, and an able advocate of
democratic principles, adds the fol
lowing:
1.-The defeats of the democratic party
OF Wisconsin may be traced back to
men of the Bouck stripe, who forced
greenbackism and other makeshifts on
the party until its real principles were
lost sight of and people became dis
gusted with it,"
While The Democrat heartily en-
dorses the words quoted above from
The Pilot and The Journal, and has
never lost any love on the class of
self constituted statesmen against
whom they are directed, we think that
1t ought to be distinctly understood
that there is no desire on the part of
the young democracy of Wisconsin to
disparage in any way whatever the
fathers of the party in the state. 1t
was from them that the party, as now
organized, learned its devotion to prin-
ciple. Constitutional democracy was
their watchword, and they ever main
tanned that an honest, fearless ad-
yocacy of democratic principles
was true party eXpediency. And all
through the state to-day, and the
country rs well, there are men whose
locks are gray and whose years are
many, but whose hearts and democ-
racy never grow old. They are sound
and progressive democrats, and rejoice
TO see the party bravely take its stand
and champion that which it believes
to be right, regardless of temporary
defeat or victory. These men belong
to the better element of the old school,
and to them the younger democrats
of Badgerdom all take off their hats.
But all who have taken an active part
in Wisconsin politics for the score of
years last past can bear The Dem
ocrat out in the statement these were
not the men whose voices were most
generally potential in democratic coun-
ellis. Too often unprincipled and
selfish leaders pushed themselves to
the front, and secured control of the
organization; and when some patriarch
objected to the sacrifice of principle
for seeming temporary advantage, he
was treated disrespectfully, and not
unfrequently told that he might keep
on voting for Ger. Jackson If he could
not adapt himself TO the new order of
things. OF course these audacious
fellows were never leaders in the true
sense; they were simply bosses, and
miserably poor bosses at that Time
and again they Disguised the best dem
ocrats in the state, who through the
weak and foolish Vaccinations of
those who assumed leadership, were
denied even the satisfaction Of honor
able defeat. But this evil domination
has been overthrown; and relieved Of
a great burden, the democratic party
of Wisconsin will march forward in
the path of principle with a clearer
conscience and brighter prospect of
ultimate success.