Nevada County picayune., 1890-02-12
THIRD PARTIES.

of the prohibition idea in politics are indicative not so much of the aban- donment of that idea, as of a conccn- tration of forces on other lines of ac- ton. The questions growing out of industrial conditions arc the ones which command the attention of the people and challenge their serious consideration. Whenever, in the politics of any country, an issue arises on which the two great parties are clearly aligned in opposition to each other. all side issues and all out side organizations either disappear or are reduced to such small propor- tions as to exert no influence on re- suits. It is only when political lines are loosely drawn. and either or both of the great organizations fail to rep resent ideas or principles, that new parties flourish.
 The question of tariff. and the other industrial and economic Ques- tions which are q part of it, now eX
 cludc everything of minor interest and importance. Even such great questions as the monetization of sil- yer are compelled to occupy sub
 sidiary position. The Democratic party is so fully committed to the demand for n reduction of federal taxation that it feels impclled to force that fight to conclusion with out any serious division of energies on other lines, although the coinage of silver has been. is, and will con. tinue to be, one of it's principles of actlon When tariff is reformed in the interest of the producing and consuming masses of the people, the Democratic party will be free to re- store silver to its proper position, but Plutocratic laws are now so nu- mClous, and are so so strongly de- fended, that it cannot afford to waste it's strength in an effort to correct more than one of them at time.
 The idea which controls parties in such case acts, largely, upon indi- vidual voters. In the presence of a question of surpassing moment, all political distractions are lost sight of, and men identify themselves with one or the other of the two great con tending forces. There is nothing like a great issue to clear field of political rubbish. In such times the average voter rightly feels that his interest is on one sidc of the ques- ton involved, identifies himself with that side, and eXerts an influence in its behalf. He feels that, with the whelming mass of the people ar rayed on opposing lines of thought and action, he would be wasting what influence he can evert for him self by firing into the air. Expert ence justies this view.
 During the years when the Repub- lican party was in absolute control of every branch of the government, the Democratic party, although in a hopeless minority, stood in opposi- ton to the laws which oppressed the productive energies of the country. As long ago as l77l the agricultural sections began seeking remedy for : their ills. They did not cooperate with the Democratic party, because l then it was considered to be nothing but a political negation. Out of the , necessities of the situation arose the l Grange party. It had some success, r and adopted some laws, particularly in Illinois. which were designed to , improve the farmers condition, and l which would have had that effect, had they been let alone. The Grange was not a political party, however. It could not consumate or perpetu- ate it's work, and with the return of the Republicans to full power in the State, nearly all of the Grange laws have been so amended as to be prac- ticallv worthless, either in letter ar enforcement. There is no State at present where corporations are so we'll fortified as in Illinois.
 In national legislation every reform of consequence has been due to the partial restoration of Democracy to power. The Interstate Commerce , law originated with Reagan, of Tex as. The partial rcmonetization of silver is to be credited to Bland of Missouri. The present effort to re- ducc taxation is due to Democracy Nothing but strong party organiza- ton could nave done what has been done and made possible what is now contended for St. Louis Republic.