The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-07-02
A DEFINITION OF s'
TRUE DEMOCRACY

From the Verdict.
One vast trouble and one ever to get
between the legs of party harmony and
trip it up, is the dull and narrow ignor-
ance of the eastern democracy touching
the democracies of the west and south.
A corrupt money element, seeking to sad
die and ride the eastern democracy in its
own affairs, and controlling, to a paper,
the New York City daily press, has taught
and retaught the democrat of the east to
believe that his party brother of the west
or south is an anarchist of acute and raw
ing variety, whose only bent is destruction
and whose sole hope is chaos. To read the
eastern papers one would believe the ma
tons real enemies to dwell within its Dor
ders anywhere west and south of the Penn
sylvania lines. AS was said above, the
great peril Of the American hour isn't
southern or western radcalism: its the
ignorant darkness of the east itself-a
darkness which would seem to envelop
nine Notwithstanding rich and poor, wise
and foolish, literate and unread good and
bad--of the whole cis-Allegheny popula-
ton. Let the Verdict, in correction OF
eastern error, reprint an excerpt from the
editorial voice of the Mississippi Valley
Democrat The paper quoted from is
free-silver sixteen to one publication:
radical supporter of Bryan. Also it has
lived for more than third of a century,
has circulation of full 100 900; is held in
high repute in its region, and its field of
influence can be found in those states
which, from Manitoba to the Gulf, fringe
either side of both the upper and the lower
rivers. Here is how this western an
archist," rejecting, While leading the senti-
ment of it's people, talks: Please. point out
the national threat concealed in it:
Democracy has no war to make on
wealth. 1t is no breeder of anarchy or revo-
luton. On the contrary, it stands for d.
recty the opposite of these in all in it's
principles and purposes-for peace and
harmony and justice among men. BY its
very nature, democracy is conservative.
The war that it is wagng now is for the
porpetuation of the immortal principles
that it espoused al the beginning of its ca
Ireer-for equal rights to all and special
privileges to none. Instead of warning on
capital, democracy is it's best friend. 1t
stands for the protection of capital in the
hands of the masses and the honestly rich
| against the worse than highway robbery of
| the great combines and the insatiate greed
| of the ravenously rich. 1t would render
| forever impossible those evil conditions
| which enable few reprobates and dishon-
est scoundrelS to clear their millions an
nually at the expense of the deserving
| masses. 1t would stop the building of pal
| aces and the transformation of pleasant
| homes into novels of want and wretched-
| ness. 1t would equalize conditions and give
| every citizen a fair chance. This is the
! task that democracy has set for ITSELF
| The only party in this country that pro-
| duces anarchy and riot is the republican
| party. In consequence of the unequal con-
| ditions which it created, it's glaring par
| TALLY to one class and its gross injustice
| to another, 1t has aroused a spirit of envy
| and public discomfort, and brought the
| country to the verge of a situation that is
| as dangerous politically as the precincts of
| powder magazine 1t has adopted bribery
| and coercion as its principal campaign
weapons. 1t sells the offices to the highest
bidders, and compels the successful cam
| didates to become bankrupts or common
| thieves. It has created conditions that re-
move all hope of political achievement from
| poor men and honest men, and made it
| possible only for the rich or those pliable
scoundrels who serve as the tools of cor
| rnption to aspire to office 1t has degraded
| the supreme court by placing dishonest
| men in that exalted position, for the sole
| purpose of defeating the will of the people,
| We can name members sitting on the bench
| today who draw larger salaries from the
| agents of monopoly than they receive from
| the government, and whose opinion in all
| cases affecting monopolies will be against
| the people, regardless of law or justice
| This is no reckless, unfounded charge. 1t
| is the shameful, disgracefu truth, and we
| can name the men. To overthrow and de-
siroy c::ese and other c,.''a the wicked
S-oger: g re2ublicanism- is tie task that
democracs has set for iise.f, and Ia the>ae-
| complishment of its purpose it will equally
protect and foster honest capital and de-
serving labor