The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-26
FIGHTING LOST RATT1ps

From time II time newspaper readers
are informed Of the intention of certain
leaders of the Democratic party to con-
tinue in their political conduct on the
lines which have marked their
eareers for the past eight years.
Many, indeed most, of them
honestly believe that no other
course is consistent with devotion to
the principles of the party. They have
seen every Eastern state, every state of
Importance on the Pacific slope, every
state in the Middle West, and at least
one distinctively Southern state wrested
from attachment to the party during that
period Yet they continue to believe that
the true course for the party is the
one which it has pursued with such pal
pably disastrous results
The Democratic party was virtually
exiled from power in national affairs
from 1860 to 1884. At intervals the people
Of the country showed their dissatis-
faction with the party in power. by re-
turning a Democratic majority to either
one or other Of the houses of congress
during that period. In 1876 the presidency
was won and stolen. Both by popular
and electoral vote did the American peo-
pie of that day declare their desire to re-
turn the Democracy to power VIII any
of the gentlemen who are now advising
continual recourse to the policies and
principles of the past eight years, ask
themselves whether the Democracy of
Samuel J. Tilden was or is the Democ-
racy of William ]. Bryan? Eight years
afterwards the people defeated James
J. Blaine and elected Grover Cleveland.
This they did again eight years after
wards No one will pretend on either side
that the Democracy OF. Grover Cleveland
and of William J. Bryan were alike; and
while there may be some disagreement as
to whether Tilden and Cleveland repre-
sented the same party and national pol
icies, the bulk of active Democrats who
voted for both these leaders believe thai
both stood for the true Democratic prin-
ciple
But let us leave Mr. Cleveland out of
the matter entirely. Is there a man IN
the entire country today who will say
that Samuel ]. TiIden was not an au-
thorized and representative Democratic
leader, worthy of all principles and tradi-
tons of Thomas Jefferson himself? Why
then is it that the Democracy of Samuel
j. Tilden held the faith and support Of
such great producing centers of American
life as New York, New Jersey Connecti-
cut, Indiana and California, together
with the entire South; while all the states
named have shown during two successive
presidential elections that they will have
none of Mr. Bryan or his teachings. and
that during his ascendency the party has
been in a hopeless minority in both
branches of congress.
The G l o b e does not ask these cues
tons in any spirit of elimination 1t no
more believes in turning the party con-
troll over to the men of the Eastern
states, or to those who have been forced
out of the party with Mr. Bryan's ad-
vent than it does in seeing any other
section or division of party leadership in
control. 1t wants a united party; and In
all sincerity it tells those who still Yer-
sist in repudiated party doctrines and
policies that there can be no united party
as long as they maintain the attitude
which they assume today. They are not
their brothers keepers. Neither ere
they the keepers of the Democratic con-
science or of Democratic principles and
traditions. Giving them and their chosen
leader credit for all the sincerity of
honorable and earnest men. it would be
folly for any aggregation of men united
for the advancement of given social AM