Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-08-04
DEMOCRACY ALL RIGHT.
The Situation in Georgia Is Typical
of That in All Democrat
ic States.

Congressman James NJ. Griggs. of
Georgia, wilhelm Washington wasasked
to contribute something to the Posts
bureau of political, information. This
the Georgia congressman very readily
consented to do, and in terms brief and
terse,. and yet admirably clear, he pro-
aeeded to set forth the political situa-
ton in Georgia. which, making due al
lowance for local conditions, is the sit
. uation. in all the naturally democratic
states. Congressman Griggs Informed
the Posts reporter that Mr.. Bryan will
have solid delegation from Georgia at
the next national convention; that the
distinguished democratic leader is as
popular in Georgia in 1899 as he was in
1896, and that he is held in the same
high esteem all over the south; that
there is small likelihood of the presen-
tation of any other name to the con-
vention, and that the Chicago platform
will be reatfirmed and additional planks
condemnatory of trusts added. To this
the Georgia congressman added the
statement that, while it is entirely too
soon to make any predictions as to the
result of the next presidential struggle,
he does not regard the prospect as adj
verse to the democratic party. ION the
contrary" he declared, there is good
ground for believing that the party will
succeed. With leader like Bryan, and
confident of being on the right side of
all the great questions of the day, with
sixteen to one the leading issue, the
democracy was never in better shape
to prosecute a vigorous campaign"
Now, that is the kind of talk we like to
see democrats indulge in, says the At
lanta Constitution. 1t has the right
ring, and, moreover, has the advantage
of being true. There are few pessi-
mistic democrats to be found willing
enough to take off their coats and get
down to business whenever they are
called on, but are temporarily over
awed by the braying of brass bands and
the successes of the money power, as
shown in the formation of trusts. To
doubt the success of democratic doc
trines is to doubt the capacity of the
people to govern themselves. They
may, at some time or other, reach the
point where they will succumb to the
power and influence of money combi-
nations. This is possible, but not prob
able; and until this surrender is def
nitely and formally made the demo-
cratic party, representing the true in
terests of the people, will always have
good prospect of success. We agree
with Congressman Griggs that there is
no good ground for believing that the
party will succeed in the next cam
paign. 1t cannot be possible that the
aggressive movements in the direction
of centralzation-mov which
I,a u. e
attacks on the peoples interests-are
to go unrebuked. 1t cannot be possible
that the voters are to permit themselves
TO be misled into following false lead
ers and indorsing false issues. Mr..
Bryan, in his speech at the banquet
given in his honor by Atlanta demo-
Gratis, declared the truth when he said
that the democratic party is nearer the
principles of Thomas Jefferson to-day
than it has been since it's organization.
And he uttered another great truth
when he said that the Chicago platform
is the platform of the voters, and not of
the leaders. We are willing to admit
that the campaign of next year will put
the principles of Thomas Jefferson to
the test of their popularity in this coun-
try. We have, as it were, reached an
other crisis in the history of this gov
eminent, and the people are to be called
on to choose between the principles of
democracy and the doctrines on which
a centralized plutocratic government
is based. The issues are to be more
clearly defined in 1900 than they were
in 1896, and the voter who can be de-
ceived as to his duty toward himself
and his neighbors does not deserve to
enjoy the blessings of democratic gov
ernment. We have had such crises in
our history before, as all students
know, but at the proper time, at. the
appointed moment, the people have al
ways given a verdict in their own favor,
and against the allied and plutocratic
interests of the money power.
0QINIGMC AND DOINTERC