The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-15
Dem ocratic Duty.

The Macon Telegraph finds much to OBJ
ject to in our ideas with regard to the
duty which professej democrats owe TO
the democratic party organization. Our
contemporary holds that ones own cor
science should be his sole guide in. politics.
ana that the voter should be. and really
is. unham rcd by party obligations ex-
cept in so far as the party principles CO.
incide with his views. Our contempora-
rvs argument is in different language.
but that is what it means.
That is an attractvely IDEAL but wholly
Impractical way Of looking at the matter.
In politics we have to come down to
c1rta." The millennium is not yet at
hand. The genius Of our system of gov
eminent is the rule of the majority. We
are necessarily compelled to have poHti-
cal party organizations. 1t is the privi-
lege, ana IL, public duty, OF every per-
son qualified TO vote to select the party
which comes nearest to his ideas, and to
become a member Of that party. Manifest
ly it is impossible % form a party whose
principles will please everybody, and 1t
is impracucable to have a thousand and
one little parties for the accommodation
Of persons Of various shades of opinion;
therefore 1t is necessary that there snail
be compromises and concess! IONS, in or
der that great bodies may be held to-
gether for the public good. Somebody
has said that craftsmanship is the art of
compromising.
The democratic party is beyond ques-
ton the party Of the people. 1t is the only
opponent Of that organization Of the
classes. the republican party which is
worthy the name. To rend the democratic
party into factions would be to give the
republicans free hand to do as they please
in the way Of taxing and depressing the
masses for the benefit Of favored few.
Would Il ease any democrats conscience
to withhold his opposition and see the an
cient enemies Of the people win, merely
because he did not favor every plank in
the platform and found the candidate per-
sonally Objectionable? Would it be good
policy. in the face of the advancing enc
my. to tear down our breastworks and
divide our troops into squabbling factions,
merely because the officer temporarily in
command had not the unqualified conf
dence of the whole army?
There Is not a true American but be-
lieves the system of government
of the United States to be the
best way in the world. There arc
some millions OF us who DO not approve
of the principles of the party now in pow
er; still we do not repudate the govern
ment for that reason; we adhere to it, and
support it, and would fight for it, 1t is
the same way in religious matters. Many
of US belong to church denomna tions
having details of faith or discipline which
we cannot accept unreservedly, stin we
adhere to the faith as a whole, and love
and defend it. The good preponderates
overwhelmingly, and for the sake of the
good we accept those details which fail
to meet our full appreciation. And it
must necessarily be so in politics.
The Morning News opposed the free sill
yer issue, and certainly would never have
chosen Mr.. Bryan as the democratic can
didate for the presidency; at the same
time, there was and is, so much that is
good in the democratic party that it could
not transfer its allegiance and support,
either directly or indirectly. to any other
party; and it will continue to labor along
the same line. In adhering faithfully to
the democracy we do not. az the Tele-
graph suggests, surrender principle" or
forget that "he serves his party best who
serves his country best" Our principles
are now what they have always been, and
we have Served our country" and shall
continue to serve it., by exerting our very
best efforts to keep the iniquitous, ruin
Gus republican party out OF control of the
government. Democrats ought to be will
ing to make almost any political sacrifice
to democrats to keep the republicans from
capturlng the government