Daily inter mountain., 1900-09-07
REFORM AND IT'S REASONS,

and journalist named George H. Crosby
who until recently has been an active
democrat, but who has now joined the
| republican party. giving his reasons.
These reasons are SO sound. SO plain and
so patriotic that we commend them to
all men in search of the truth and the
light. Mr.. Crosby's letter is to friend
whom he addresses as follows:
| Dear Sir and Friend: Your. courteous
letter of some days ago is at hand. 1
am much pleased with the spirit of it,
was not aware that you ana m3e
other friends who Joined you lin the
letter cared what political party l af-
filiated with, hence the letter was q
/! pleasant surprise.
| To part politically with my old friends
and associates with whom l have been
identified ever since l was old enough
| to take an interest in the principles
and policies of our government. and
| turn my back to the party whose doc,
trines have always advocated and der
Tended and whose mistakes and fail
ures have SO often been compelled to
lapologize for, required no small amount
of courage and will power on my spart..g
The democratic party, having gone
| back to the issues and it's hereSies of
forty years ago; issues that have cost
this nation more treasure. more osorFow
and distress to it's people. and the sac
rihces of more precious lives and blood
than all other disturbing elements that
! the American people have been called
upon to meet and overcome; issues that
all hberty-loving people. democrats and
republicans alike, had hoped were for
ever removed from the arena of Amer
ican politics; issues that many of had
supposed, to use the language of that
patriotic soldier brilliant and scholarly
| n
been shot to death by million guns
of the republic and forever consumed
amid the burning rafters of the South
ern confederacy," Aguinaldo and his
band of cut-throat assassins are now
! attempting to accomplish what the
South under those old issues claimed
the right to do, viz, to shoot down the
American flag and drive it's defenders
from territory that rightfully belongs
to the United States: territory acquired
by treaty that Mr.. Bryan himself not
only favored but advocated the adop-
tion Of. Little did I think at the time
the democratic party was clamoring for
war with Spain, that it would ever
cravingly shrink from the responsible
titles created by and growing out of the
war. or denounce President McKinl
and the administration for doing what
Mr. Bryan himself has declared he
would do if he We're president viz.
establish a stable form of government
in the Philippine islands,"
My honesty in politics has led me
into the republican party. Looking
/ back over the history of our country
! I was forced to admit that every law
and measure adopted within the last
forty years that adOrn the pages OF
the statutes Of our country, the results
of which have been blessing and
universal benefit to the people, we owe
| to the republican party = laws and
measures to which the democratic party
almost invariably offered a stubborn and
;determined opposition. The two parties
may be diagnosed as follows:
and is the party of progress and ad-
vancement: the democratic party has
been and is the party of opposition end
| Ifault-finding. The democratic party
fails: the republican party succeeds.
The democrats talk; the republicans act
The democrats face and cling to thepast
and are prophets Of evil; the republicans
| unshrinkingly meet and sol:e anl over
come every problem however ditfic:Jit,
and with hope and confidence eontem-
plate the future grandeur Of the republic.
The democrats regard and speak of the
flag as the emblem Of oppression, despot-
! ism and imperialiSm:" the republicans
look upon and refer to it as the insignia
OF liberty, justice. good government and
| peace on earth, good will to man." The
republican party has made all there is Of
tory to be proud Of: the democratic party
has made all there is in it to be ashnrned
of. The democratic party by it's opposi-
ton and faut-finding has accomplished
some good: it has made the republican
party more irresistible in it's onward
march. The democratic party in Ameri-
can politics has answered the purpose
that the orthodox hell has in religion: it
has stimulated and infused life into the
good. I would have been with you four
years ago but the direful predictions
made by the democratic press and stump
orators that the then hard times would
continue and in a much more aggravated
state in case the reins of government
should be taken from the democratic
party and transferred to the republican
party, coupled with the fact that I had
aways been taught democracy from the
cradle caused me to pause and hesitate.
The democratic party in the meantime
failed to embrace the only opportunity it
has had for forty years (''the Cleveland
reign excepted), to redeem itself by up
holding the flag and standing by the ad-
minstration in it's endeavors to maintain
the national honor unsulied in the Phil
ippine islands by establishing there ga
stable form of government" and thereby
, maintain law and order and enable the
. inhabitants to enjoy the blessings Of lib
erty. peace and good order instead of
turning them over to the tender mercies
of that bribe-taker and traitor Agufn-
aldo. for pillage rapine and assassination
In vocation of articles ", x and XI OF
the treaty which was favored by Mr..
. Bryan and which brought the. islands
under the sovereignty and made them a
part of the domain of the United States
Observing this found myself unable
any longer to affiliate with that party.
How democrat can quietly and by his
silence tactily approve what has beer
done by the democratic party, in North
citizens Of that state and tactily indorse
what has taken place in Kentucky with