The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-08-30
SOME REASONS
WHY DEMOCRACY SHOULD BE
SUSTAINED.
The Democratic, Republican and
Populist Parties Contrasted---
Why Honest Men Ought to Re-
turn to the Former---The True
Peoples Party is the Democratic
Party.
News and ObSeryer.l

have grown up under Republican ad-
ministration of National affairs, have
left the Democratic party and allied
themselves with the Populist par
ty. This new party promised SO
much relief that it appealed strongly
TO men who were in debt, and who
found that year by year the prices of
their products were declining, and
that it became more and more diff
cult TO pay the debts contracted while
prices were high. 1t attracted, too, a
class OF men who were SO eager to re-
form the evils of contradicting cur
rency that they lost sight of other
matters equally important, and has
tened TO act with party which
claimed to have found an infalllbe
way to make money plentiful and
cheap. This new party, owing to
short crops and low prices and to
some plausible features in its platform,
enlisted the efforts, earnest and sincere,
of active and energetic men who felt
the evils under which they suffered
and were eager to try the remedy pro-
posed. They made quite stir prior
to the election of 1892, and were en-
thusiastic over their prospects. The
election came and with it the disen-
chantment of many of the Populists.
The results were meager and not at
all commensurate with their predic-
tions. Since then their history has
been one of continuous defeat. This
year they made loud boasts of car
rying Tennessee and Alabama. In
the last named State kolb had the
financial assistance of the New
England Republicans, and yet in both
these States the Democrats won by un
precedented majorities.
They are declining in numbers and
in enthusiasm. Their losses are not
made up by recruits. The Democrat
who is dissatisfied with the achieve
ments of his party, since it has control
of the government, takes his conso-
lation in abusing the administration,
or the few disloyal Democrats who
have prevented the party from furnish
ing fuller measure of relief to the
people, resolving to select better Dem
ocrats next election and make the
administration more responsive to his
views; but he shows no disposition to
leave his party. BY principles and
tradition he is impelled to give no aid
or comfort to the party which he
regards as the author of the abuses
which he has fought all his life, and
against which the Populist party is a
vigorous protest. He can not become
a Republican; to become Populist is
to aid the Republican party to the
extent that his vote and his influence
would weaken the Democratic party
and prevent the carrying out the
principles which it has formulated
and upon which it has gained phe
nomenal victories. He sees no i'm.
provement in the policies of the Re.
publican party, and recognizes thai
that great, strong organization still
holds to the pernicious principle:
which are responsible for the evils
under which we have suffered and are
still suffering. Besides, he sees tht
Populist party growing weaker, yield
ing up its Western possessions to tht
common enemy, and with no chance
to carry its principles into effect. HI
knows that it will never be able t.
control national legislation, and OIL
account of some OF its pensions ant
other vagaries, as for example, PETER
bill to levy all the taxes for the sup
port of the Federal Government upor
lands, he would regard it as grea
misfortune to the country if it shoul(
come into power. He sees that th'
principles advocated by the Populis
party which commend themselves t.
his judgment are principles to whicl
the Democratic party is committed
and which it is endeavoring to carr.
into effect. Among them he note
the fight against unjust taxation; tn
determined opposition to the outras
of class legislation, making the poo
poorer and the rich richer, plling u
by means of legislative aid immens
fortunes for the few at the expense Q
toiling millions, and building thos
choice and finished products of Re
publican rule, the trusts and combine
which are destroying competition ant
throttlng prices, the shibboleth "equa
rights to all, special privileges t
none," having been since the days c
jefferson the war cry of the Democrat
party; also the establishment of
system Of finance which shall be c
sufficient volume for the needs of tn
, people and which shall be safe, SCUM
: and flexible the utilization Of silve
, and gold "upon equal terms - OF
/ position to extravaganza, and advocac
of economical but not parsimonior
r appropriations for the support of tn
government.
He realizes that he has a part
pledged to these views which hs
lasted for nearly century, survlvn
civil war and reconstruction, whlc
embraces in its ranks about halt III
, voters of the nation, having an organ
: zation and vitality that have made
one of the wonders OF the polite;
. world, and being now in possession {
. all the branches of the National govern