Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-05-03
A DEMOCRATIC VIEW oF IT.


That work is hard to get and money
lying idle are plain facts. It is Ia
mentable thing that in this compara-
lively young country thousands and
thousands of men. strong, competent
and willing to work at reasonable
wages, can not get employment.
We have no respect for character
less agitators like Coxey but we do
sympathize with the million of men
who can not get an opportunity to earn
an honest living. The great masses of
them are honest, industrious citizens.
Many of them may have been improvi-
dent when they had work at fair wages
and not saved up for rainy day but
that is neither here nor there in remov-
ing the responsibility of the political
parties that have been in power.
True, we are now struggling with the
evils and burdens of Republican legis-
lationO which has dominated in this
country for over thirty years. But the
inactivity and the neglect of duty of
the Democratic majority in both
branches of Congress place part of
the blame upon the Democratic party.
Already the people, the common,people,
who have been the bone and sineW of
Democracy since the government was
founded, have reluctantly come to look
with distruSt upon the pledges of Dem
ocratic representatives and senators,
because they are frittering away their
opportunity.
If the tariff reduction bill is not
speedily passed and other pressing
reforms enacted by the men sent by
democratic voters to serve the whole
people. then the next congress is sure
to be Republican. Indeed, it will re-
quire earnest, decisive and courageous
work on the part of the democratic
majority to save it, so long have they
spent their time and the over taxed
peoples money in absence from duty
and vicious, factional wrangling.
The common country editor may not
have the wisdom to advise and direct
the party, but he is the one of all others
who is in position to learn the senti-
ment of the masses who make or change
party majOrities. We say frankly as a
Democrat, whose whole belief is now
and has been for life, in the Democratic
party and against all other parties, that
the Democratic majority in congress
must wake up and get up and do the
work they were sent to do or again the
great party of the people, the. sheet
anchor of the perRetuitY of a free gov
ernment, the Democratic party, will be
displaced from power for another period
while the millions of it's supporters
who constitute more than half of the
voters of this country discipline and
punish its servants in high places who
have proven to be incompetent and un-
faithful.
In every crisis in the history of the
United States when the people have
seen their rights, property and individ-
ual liberty encroached upon, they have
turned to the Democratic party. 1t
publicanism and Populism are alike
menacing and destructive of the great
est liberty, self control, lightest and
least exactions of government and
equal justice to all, consistent with
public welfare.
Republicanism has tended to central
ization of power and making few
classes very rich and the great masses
very poor. Populism has already bent
towards French revolution and an
arehy that would in the end, if it sue
ceeded with its socialistic and paternal
politics, establish a monarchy or an
empire as the only means of protecting
life and property.
Therefore, in view of the signs Of
the times, the Democratic majority in
Congress today stands under respon-
sibiIity greater than has been upon any
congress since 1861. The people are
now daily and nightly saying to the
democrats In the house and senate:
Let not ambition, selfishness, and
jealousy hawk at and tear and destroy
the fair opportunity you yet have to
redeem your pledges and serve your
country honestly and well. ."-Paola
Spirit.
DOWN in Tennessee the pepulists
recently nominated a candidate for