Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-07-21
Democratic Opportunity.

Democratic Opportunity.
Not since the birth Of the res
public has there been a con
g~ressional campaign Of more mo-
mentous Importance and interest
to the American people than the
one just ahead of US. No thought
ful man can fail to recognize this.
It will be a campaign Of tremen-
dous responsibility OF statesmen
to the masses, Of tremendous
possibilities as affecting the des>
tiny Of the nation, and of grand
opportunity for Democratic lead
ers. It will be contemporaneous
with the rapid drift towards q
great crisis in our history, and
upon it may depend whether the
ending Of that crisis shall be for
veal or woe.
We hope and believe that ere
the congressional campaign is
over peace between this country
and Spain will have been con-
cluded and the work of emanci>
pating Cuba from Spanish tyr
amy will have been accomplish
| ed. But that will mean the set
Element of only one of the issues
connected with the war. In q
sense. it will be but the settle.
ment Of a minor issue. Out of the
war have arisen problems which,
by reason of their bearing upon
our future AMI our institutions
overshadoW the original Cuban
question.
From our position of cham
pion Of republicanism for others.
We have drifted into, or rather
dragged into, the shadow Of i'm
perialism ourselves. Willie seek
ing to break SPANS iron grip or
the Queen Of the Antilles, we are
becoming enamoured Of a policy
that holds in It the danger o.
putting the iron grip of militia
rism on our own country. While
we are pouring out blood ane
money for the purpose OF secur.
ing to Cuba a free, independent
and representative government
a government Of the peopie-Wt
are menaced at homo by con
ditions pregnant with the viru.
of centraIizat1on.
In this situation are embodied
the paramount issues growing
out of the war. To summarize ans
crystalize, the question is wheth
er we shall continue to hold fas
to the anchor Of the doctrine o
the fathers, which has provet
the safety Of the republican shil
of State in SO many storms, O.
cast loose and take the chances
of that ships being wrecked AM
battered out OF all semblance o
itself?
Yes, the Democratic leaders vii
have a grand opportunity in tn
looming congressional campaign
They will have the opportunit.
of going back to first principles
and of bringing into striking
contrast with latter day Repub
licanism tho cardinal principle
of true republicanism. They wi
! have an opportunity to condue
their campaign on a plane Q
: craftsmanship such as has nc
been vouchsafed them since til
{ civil war. And their duty will b
-commensurate with their oppor
tunity. 1t will be not only to en-
ttlighten the masses as to th
dangers and the feVolutlon
airy tendencies of the ne
policy, but to expose il
partisan inspiration. II the
. shall avail themselves of the
: opportunity, and do their dut,
g we see no reason why the canvas
should not only result III tt
Democrats gaining control of tt
next House, but in marking tt
beginning of the end of the RI
publican party. At no time in i
9 history has that party been MOI
Ell Vulnerable to the assaults {
sIDemocracy. or have the Demo
cPacy been in position to Us
more powerful Weapons in assai
t. ling ii.