The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-10


has si:tle influence with the Democratic
party and = Tot able 20 save even Us
nam. from beng swallowed up IN shame
ana s3.szracs. When me state becomes
more settled and -, aSsisleti the DcEIi3c-
racy Will become a great and respeciao.e
force, having a proper weight IN tae al
Re best for !; 70 become the controlling
power. for Democracy cannot orig nate
progressive ard wise legislation such as
This state vii constantly need for many
years 70 Zone tbs reminds ne Of the
most s:gn.ncan. fact II the history or the
Democratic party OF the nation nat IS.
the records Of congress show that NO
great and progressive legislation. which
mas proved ~tse ~ time. was inflated
and carried through to the statutes by
the Democratic party IN the past forty
useful men IN its councils ana mas
had control Of enc or both houses 81 con-
greSs during hals that period. and four
terms of the presidency,
political elements. I Will refer briefly 10
their branches. Each Of he great parties
has rs extreme wing These are both
.ve extremists aye always FAR ahead Of
tire mas. OF their party In The pursuit Of
some reform work. but are too narrow
and concentrated to remember and sppre-
cfate the many purposes Of government,
and are always too impatient and too des-
titute Of tact ami spirit OF conprom!se %
ever gain my direct good results. SINCE
the close Of the rebellion this element has
Confined itself 10 temperance work and
gore by the name OF Prob. ollonis:s.
Their Indirect influence in promoi ng
progress In temperance by agitation has
doubtless been great, but their direct re-
suits on legislation have been nil All
temperance reform through pol &C
ton has been when the general sense of
the Republican party was ready 10 en-
force 4.
Previous to the rebellion the same rad'..
cal element was known by the name OF
a holttionists. They did great WORK N
agitation and stirred UP the sense If the
Nor;h 70 realize the awfulness Of slavery
but Their efforts and purposes were always
impractical ana Qulxotic. and they ana
their methods were entirely ignored by the
Republican progress yes when they took
up the task ~ srangIing the political
power OF slavery and finally wiped it of
the earth
The conservative extreme NAV best b.
described by the term "reactionists
sentative policy Of preserving and sup
porting what the progressive party has
previously built up and proved t. he good
bu, 20 tear down their work-whether y
has had time 10 be proved or not. and 10
replace ii by some scheme thai has been
outgNown and discarded by advancing
civilization hundreds Or thoafAds a S
forms and dressei in specious promises
hut a good student Of past history can
find the ancestor II every one OF their
schemes among the rubbish OF past ages.
This clement We are very familiar with
in Washington II is large and aggres-
sive A scientist wotsid distinguish its
reasoning powers or deficient in education
In proportion TO their natural intelli gence
For reasons which have not present
/ space TO describe, this reactorary wing
has always been much more numerous in
the West than the East, and until 1896
II had always been kept in subsection by
the regular conservative forces. the few
.rreconcilables breaking off into small
tribes KNOWN at different times Social
. ISIS, Greenhackers. etc. Ii was not untH
1893 that the domination of Tammany
Hall and Wall street became so irk<ome
that the seCeders became numerous
i enough 10 make A power. and they then
! appeared under the name Of Populists:
| -Four years later. under the stress Of hard
! times and e neral discomfort of the pep
| Pile the reactionsts made a dash AT the
! Democratic organization at Chicago ana
! captured L. writing as revolutionary a
| platform as they dared and placing a. re-
dictionary a candidate upon Il as they
dared The dangerous character of the
! platform and ticket may be measured by
/ the fact that they were able TO reclaim
| all Of the most dangerous elements of So
ciety to ITS support. The moderate con
| servltives. however, were so much alarm
| ed and repealed by The movement that II
| disaStrously failed.
| Judging from The past and the probable
! conditions OF the future. l think II safe
! to assume hat as cOna lions again become
, normal the conservative party VIII again
/ reOr@anlze itself on the old lines with its
| former average of pol teal success. and
| while IL is not likely to do go in time 20
| prevent Mex nley's reelection. shall he
| much surprised f Il does not regain power
| for another short term four years lat\.
| / must now consider fact which is al
| ways confusing to political student-the
| changes which many men make in their
| politics. i viii readily be seen that 81
| her!tance from different ance.tors fire.
| quenty gives q man a conflicting charac-
| ter. 81 that ne may DE progressive on
| some suhjt cts and conservative or reac.
| ii0nary on otherst or ne may have up ana
| to he found IN different places at different
| times; but there Is also a general tend
| enCy among men a. they grow older 60
| become more conservative. and If they are
| disappointed In '-te, 10 become peSs.m.>s,f0
| and souged. however ardent ANA hopeful
| they may have been at the outset. When
| men are drifting downward they are too
| apt 10 think ii is the rest of the U1r.
| tEaf is gling down. ani easily turn aga ns'
| what they have stood with in the pas:
| l. Is FOR this reason that 50 many RepuA-
| leans drift down 20 Democracy as they
| grow older and If they are .aoured and
| disappointed they more often 50 past sim
| pie conservatism and land fat In the Pop
| ulist camp. In fact. large part Of ths
| Fopu!st party IS composed of former Re
| pubicans turned sour. The organized
/ movements Of former Republicans into
| the cons ryat.ye and rcaciionagy camps
! have taken place every twelve years II
the history of the party. and they are
/ sure 10 DO 81 about 50 often herea fer.
/ These movements always sweep along
many on the impulse Of he day who get
! enough OF 3yspei,tic pes~inilsm after one
! visit nj are satisfied n return. tlT. those
! who stay through a second eiect.on very
! rarely escape. and by the law CT chances
! | VIII venture the assertion thai not Il
! per cent Of those misca.led silver Re-
/ p1bG rs who stay " - tire fus' n move
! nsent his fal! viii ever return 70 the pro
/ pres~iVe party o. syor have the right e
/ call themselves Republicans.
VII close WI = question 70 n:
! vaiae % tae kaow.fge Of these pr nc. =. .;
/ ana facts - each citizen: Il e u0t pa
/ for nan 70 c0ruect himself VITA AZ or
/ E8uiza.or. and cnieavor ~ remain anr
vnrk H.''l & which Wa promote he nos,
hopa ard optimism In his nature; which
vi -sve n he pailos Ply 80 endure rs
! m.sf1~-Ures and the hope to ovsrc0Cn,
I them - f-e thai his good eno-tS 70:
{ himself a0ri for humanity Wi rot ~
was. "a aud 20 be sustained by the belle
+ :ha, tae close - his own life ana tat
/ lives ~ rs desc 1iirts nay be PASSED r
world better than 10 found IL? If -
submit i - the hest Judgment ot every
.t.ZF1 g ne IS Tot more likely 70 Rair
/ traf result by acting with the oIt.n1ls,.,
rT'erF SS#ve Republican party than w.
any other JOHN f. AVER.