Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-18
The Reason Why.

The Reason Why.
The New York World asks why there
is no Democratic governor in q north
ern state, and why no northern state
has a senator from the Democratic par
ty. Senator Berry, of Arkansas, at
tempts to answer, and in doing 50 says
the Democrats are generally found un-
willing to sacrifice principle for expe-
diency. But with Republicans it is diff
ferent, and he attempts to prove this
by reference to President Mckinley and
other gold standard men who were
friends Of silver fifteen years ago. The
Arkansas senator, Of course, onven
iently forgets the nomination Of Gree
ley. and again Of Hancock, who We're
not Democrats, as matters Of expedien.
cy, and that the Republicans have new
er gone outside of their party to nomi-
nate a candidate. 1t may be true that
President Mckinley and other Repub-
licans have in fifteen years learned
something and abandoned some theories
without having done so simply to get
upon the popular side. But it should not
be forgotten that the Democratic party
has abandoned the teachings Of it's
founder, who favored expansion. While
it perhaps may not be charged with do
ing so for the sake Of popularity, since
the elections in November showed that
the people in all parts of the country
condemn the attack made upon the pol
icy Of a greater America, still the rea-
son which actuated the party leaders is
not creditable. The explanation Is found
in another part of the senator's answer.
He says the Democratic party too fire.
quently goes off ON a tangent and takes
the unpopular side of a controversy. OF
course, there is no reason why it should,
except that it is a party Of negation,
and its leading line of conduct is to OPP
pose whatever the Republicans declare
they will support. When the voice Of
New England was more potent than i.
is now, and then, as now, was largely
against expansion and growth Of the
country by the adding of western terri
tory, the Democracy. the policy Of
which was shaped by the south, favored
country owes much of its present great
ness. Nothing ever occurred to justify
a change of policy upon the part of the
Democracy, and the people Of the south
still favor expansion. Yet when in the
course of time the Republican party
was born and became the dominant
power, events came during a Republic
an administration by which expansion
became an accomplished fact without
the party having been directly called
upon to go on record as to territorial
extension. But almost with one voice
the Republicans Of the country shouted
their qualification over the result, and
emphatically declared that no backward
step Of contraction could take place.
When this Republican party policy was
| put forth, leaders Of the Democracy, the
control of which had shifted from the
south, felt it incumbent to object to ex-
pansion, ignoring party traditions,
which had been forgotten in the long
rest that had been given the issue. 1t
was enough for the new Moses of the
party to know that something had hap
pened which strengthened a party he
had been opposing, and that the Repub-
licans were going to advocate expan-
sion. Forthwith he lifted up his voice
against the policy practiced at inter-
walls, or upon every righteous opportu-
nifty, from the time this government was
formed, and to which none had for long
objected. This instance of negative pol
itics but serves to illustrate the COM
mon policy, which the party considers
a principle. A party with such a large
following should have leaders who have
some definite ideas that they will ad-
here to, no matter if another party does
take them up. A party that seeks to
accomplish only by opposing everything
which it may not have originated, or
opposes its earlier policy, for no better
reason than that another party favors
such a line Of conduct by the govern
ment, does not win the confidence of a
calculating, reasoning majority Of the
people of any northern state. That Is
why the Democratic party has no sena-
tor nor governor in any northern state.