Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-04-18
THE MARION DEMOCRATS.

The delegates TO the democratic
county convention were a solid and
respectable lot Of citizens, and the
JOURNAL has many friends among
them. While we hold nothing in
common withlthe democratic party's
politics. we can and do recoguizeat all
times that there are many good men
in the democratic party. There are as
disinterested, earnest laborers for
the welfare of the people in that
rarity as in any under the sun
and when they are able to accom-
J plish anything in the line of good
government the JOURNAL will be
quick and sure to give them credit.
There ere loyal men, wGrm-hearted
neighbors and staunch friends
among then.
We cannot regret that our Marion
democratic friends are in the mi
nority, aud we earnestly hope they
may remain in that unpleasant pre-
dicament. But as a minority they
| perform a valuable service. The
mere fact that they put a ticket in
4 the field aud make an earnest fight
for it is worth thousands of dollars
annually 10 the taxpayers. When
there is no opposition there is DAN
ger Of laxness in the conduct of
public business, aud most public
officials that hold office uuani-
mously steal the treasury contents,
box aud all. Some people think
democrats have no excuse whatever
for existing. We are not Of such.
We can recognize the good there is
Of anything under the sun and
there is even good To be said of the
democracy.
The greatest weakness of the
democratic PARTY here as elsewhere
has been its Inherent tendency to
opposition of every measure, good or
bad, that is proposed by republicans.
Every position that the republican
party has taken has been blindly,
and in many cases senseleSSly, OPP
posed by the democratic party, not
because it was right or wrong, but
because for the time it was present
ed 10y republicans. This has always
secured for the republicans united
party action for party measures and
support from a small element of the
most intelligent democrats who do
not always show loyalty to party
traditions, as this insane tendency
to opposition is called.
So the records of American legis-
lation find the democratic party as
having opposed nearly every success
ful and popular measure. Our pO-
litical history is strewn with the
empty shells of exploded traditions
which the democratic party has
cluug to desperately from time to
time. We say this is the historical
defect of the democratic party.
Blind party opposition for political
purposes only, may be set down rs
the main cause why the democratic
party has for but four years out of
81 had control of national affairs.
We do not know but that the re-
publican party would have had
to adopt the same tactics if it had
been out of power so much as the
democrats have. But we no not
believe IL would have had so
little sagacity, At least, we flutter
ourselves it would have had more
sense. Some ofour older democratic
friends may not take kindly to these
frank statements from one their
junior. But it is what we honestly
believe aud just as we see it. If.
democrats would lay aside their
party prejudice once in II while and /
support II good measure on its merits
they would mitigate much of the
bitter feeling that now exists against |
their party, aud often unjustly. |
They would do away In part with .
the criticism, now successfully made, |
that the party is opposed to ali re-
form measures presented through /
some other organization than the .
democratic party. :