The Elbert County tribune., 1900-02-08
DEMOCRATIC POLICY.

| National platforms are the recognized
standards of pnrty faith. and between
national conventions no man or body
Of men have the authority to announce
| positively any changes In the creed as
set up In the preceding plntform. But
good many things happen between
national campaigns. and parties are
Judged not only by their ufternnces cv-
cry four years. but by what their off,
cial representatives say and do In the
meantime. In n general way, the
present administration Is the represent
atiye OF the Republican party, md
that party Is committed TO the meas
ures which II adopts and upholds and
defends its acts In the same way,
the Democratic members OF Congress
are representative OF the Democratic
party, and the policy which they adopt
and pursue Is likely to obtain the par
ty endorsement.
For this reason, the decision OF the
Democratic caucus OF United stntes
senator's, held two weeks ago, is In .
measure binding upon their party, and
Is certainly Indicative OF the general
policy OF TINT party; and therefore Is
worthy of particular attention No
formal vote was taken mt this CAUCUS,
but there wns n general agreement
among the senator's present ns to the
line OF action which should be pursued
In regard to measures now before the
Congress.
Briefly stated, the policy agreed upon
is M follows: to recognize the acquire
mcnt by the United States Of Puerto
Rico and Hawaii ms accomplished
facts: TO insist upon ms speedy re-
tiremcnt as possible from Cubn; and
to insist upon giving up the Philippines
MS soon as the insurrection Is over. To
qucl the lnsurrection, the Democratic
senators advocate n proclamation that
the United States will retire from those
Islands as soon us the rebels lny down
their arms, Will ailow the natives to
form such government as seem best
to them, and will guarantee that they
shall not be interfered with by any
foreign power. In n general way, 1t
was decided TO oppose anything and
everything the administration proposes
In reference to the Philippines.
This is return TO the old Democrat
ic prlnclple-oppositIon to everything
Republican. II is an easy principle
to apply, when the party is not in pow
er, and the Democracy had lang ex-
perience In applying II, from 1861 to
1885. That the government cannot be
run on such principles was demon
strated when the Democrats came
into power. especially from 1893 to
1907, when they had the President and
a majority of both houses of the Con-
gress. Now that the Senate is unal-
tcrably Republican for several years
to come. the old principle is easy to
carry out again. and there is an evil
dent disposition in the party, as repre-
scented In Congress, to return to the
old ways.
As brake on the wheels OF progress
as n deterrent from going too far and
too fast-the Democratic party IL not
without usefulness; but the indispen-
sable condition of such usefulness for
such n party is that it shall be in the
minority. II 1t gets majority, 1t
does not know whnt to do; when 1t is
confronted with the necessity of pos
tuiating a positive policy. 1t is utterly
Mt sea. Obviously. then, the thing to
do is to keep that party in the minori-
ty; and that Is just what the voters are
likely to do this fall.