Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-17
WILL THEY COME BACK?

I. j. SHEARER.
WILL THEY COME BACK?
After each succeeding convention of
the democratic party the question all
ways arises, What will the gold demo-
Gratis do? Will they come back to the
party or will they continue to wander
aimlessly in the woods. This was one
of the points of interest in the maneuv-
ers of the party at Des Moines yester-
Z day. The selection of Cato Sells to de-
liver the opening address was scented
of the party to return, and Cato did so
frame his entire speech as to make the
home coming easy, but alas. the bat
tie between brains and whiskers" was
too much for the brains, and the doors
We're forever closed to the gold demo-
Gratis who left the party in 1896.
TIL re is now no doubt ais to the
course they will take. Their backs arr
forever turned upon the party of their.
youth. No, let's not offend them by
stultifying the name of democracy.
today, the republican party and the
popullst party. The demise of the dem
ocratlc party took place in the summer
of 1896, when its sturdiest sons, the
brains and ability of the family, We're
cast adrift in the world as orphans to
fight their way as best they could. The
larger majority arose to an appreciation
of their changed conditions and quick
ly sought the protecting arms Of their
good neighbor, the republican party
and proved to be among the most help
Others, however, Were slower u
adapt themselves to circumstances and
held aloof, trying to keep house by
themselves. A few met in convention
at Indianapolis, but the movement soon
died out. They We're left to wander like
tramps or follow their brothers over to
their neighbours house, which they did,
and have now become republicans, SO
that, as stated above, there are nov
but two political classes Of men, repub-
licans and popuiists.
This transformation was strikngly
illustrated in one of the counties to the
south of Marshall For twenty years
two most excellent citizens, one hare
headed farmer who could always ar
rive at common sense view of every
subject and who was never known to
make a business mistake, and the othei
very successful lawyer, we'll educated,
keen witted, shrewd and noted for his
political as Well as business sagacity
had stood out among their fellow citi-
zens as the most active and effective
democrats in the county. For twenty
years they had fought republicanism
The farmer had served two terms in the
state senate as a democrat. They were
both in the convention at Dubuque
when democracy was delivered over TIC
the populists and both returned dis
gusted. The old farmer was too rigid
to bow to the Inevitable Immediately
but simply sulked in his tent crest
fallen and detected. The lawyer, how
ever, took off his coat and stumped the
county for Mckinley. He told his
friends that there was but one thing tc
do. to vote the republican ticket and
as his business judgment had always
been respected, they old it. The rigid
old farmer did not like the attitude OF
his friend. To him such a course was
little less than treason. He remon-
strated with his friend, he pleaded with
him, he cursed him, but to no avail
That was nearly three years ago. The
other day. in discussing the probable
result of the convention at Des Moines
this uncompromising old democrat said
don't want anything to do with them
We are republicans now and am going
to vote the republican ticket" 1t had
come at last; the most reluctant of all
democrats had been won over
So it is everywhere. They are all re-
publicans today and should be re-
spected as such. When a Scott county
delegate at Des Moines the day before
yesterdays convention said that III
they don't nominate Sells there won,
be democrats enough left in Scot
county to organize" he only voiced the
sentiment Of the best citizens In every
county. The republican party should
welcome these homeless children. They
represent the best citizenship Of the
nation and win make the party stronge,
andnore powerful than ever.