The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-07-16
DEMOCRATS DIVIDED.
Their Policy of Opposition becomes
Apparent Upon All &C.
casions.

| cantOn1.
! In the face of the strong and pa
triotic national sentiment which has
been led by the present administration
the democratic party is confused and
doubtful. It's policy for years has been
one Of opposition, but it is an migrate
full task to oppose the American move
ments now SO justly and grandly In
progress. There are men in the demo-
cratic party who are Wise and pa
triotic enough to be unwilling to bar
the progress of events. hut these men
find themselves opposed by the reac-
tionaries in their party.
A conspicuous illustration is the
democratic minority in the house of
representatives. The democrats in
the house decided to oppose Hawaiian
annexation. But n number of the mem
bers of that party refused to abide by
the caucus decision. Then an attempt
was made to whip the recalcitrant
members into line, and to decide that
the action of caucus was binding
upon every member of the party. But
the attempt failed disastrously. The
discord among the democrats i'm the
house is shown by the lack of loyalty
to their nominal leader, Bailey, of
Texas, an obstinate young man who
has been compelled several times to
endure the ignominy of seeing the
reins taken from his hand at crises
when cool-headed leadership was in
demand.
The democratic state conventions
now being held add their testimony to
the hopeless division i'm the party.
Some democrats are disposed to dig
Organism out of its suicidal grave and,
as inGndiana, are endeavoring to re-
galvanize into life the dead cries of
"free coinage of silver" and tariff for
revenue only" They would recall the
memory of the fact that the Chicago
convention with its sixteen to one"
| absurdity presented an unreal issue,
and by its wearing of the livery and
clasping the hand of populism drove
from the ranks Of democracy its old
| line leaders and followers. Bryan him
self puts on the shoulder straps of n
colonel that he may get a high enough
| ~
| policies.
The more up-to-date members Of the
democratic party realize that the mill
will never grind with the water that has
past, and they are ready to discuss war
measures and the new questions that
are teaching the people that we are
on world that is round and can be
circumnavigated. But here again the
democratic faulty is shown in the
position of obstruction that is taken.
The congressional opposition to the
war revenue bill is reflected in demo-
cratic platforms throughout the coun-
try, and as war opens the door of ma
tional growth and development demo-
cratic voices, even as far apart as
Bryan and Cleveland, unite in the cry
shut the door,"
1t is the old spirit that objected to
the war measures of thirty-odd years
ago, and objected to the constitutional
and other reconstruction that grew
out of those war measures 1t is the
voice of n party that is obstructive
when it denies and destructive when It
afirms.
But this division in the democratic
party emphasizes both the duty and
the opportunity of republicans. The
conventions of republicans that are
being held show that the republican
party is awake TO it's obligation and to
its privilege. Loyalty TO the admin
istration and n cheerful readiness to
enter the doors that open to larger
uses for American ideals-these are
the manifestations of party spirit
that is alive. The formation of party
lines in the view of the stirring events
of to-day assure the result of the cleo
ions of three years-1S9S, 1899 and
1900. Tried and true men on platforms
already marked out, in nation and in
state-these will be the means TO the
desired result.
And meanwhile, unable to catch up
to the American triumphal car, in
which the republican party is riding,
the democrats turn to fighting one an
other in the road.-Troy Times.