Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-12-13

&Hnu Aktutn3 Dt1DSIY dllu cUticlVtl3 anu gDOu-s
ness knows what else are charged with the
responsibility for the Democratic defeat.
/ Others think the Kansas City platform
was tho cause, and feel sure that with a
platform less Objectionable to Republicans
aud less susceptible to misinterpretation,
the Democrats might have carried the cleo
ton That is to say, had the Democrats
adopted Republican platform and nomin-
ated a candidate who was willing to stand
on that platform they might have won q
victory for Republican principles.
But even this would not have been sufii-
cient, as little reflection will show us.
II the American people want this govern
ment conducted upon Repv bllcan principles
| they will elect Republicans to do it,
! The Republican party is the party that
does things. As Champ Clark says; their
leaders have the black courage OF their
convictions.
Believing as they do that the common
| people are better of by having rich and
powerful industrial corporations to employ
them, aud wealthy banking corporations to
control their money, they have seldom
failed to shape all legislation in the inter-
ests Of capital, and have even gone further
in this direction than their platforms have
promised.
The Democratic party, on the other hand,
has contended that the capitalist is able to
take care of himself, and legislation should
be in the interests of the common people,.
but it has utterly failed to live up to its
principles when it had the opportunity.
During Cleveland's second administra-
ton, when the whole government passed
under Democratic control, the party signally
failed to reform the tariff, and its only i'm
portant financial legislation was the repeal
Of the Sherman silver bill, thus cutting off
the money supply of the country, and
augmenting the hard times that commenced
under Harrison's administration.
| Roger @. Mills said the party was
afflicted with moral cowardice, but this is
not true. Those Of the American people
who vote the Democratic ticket are not
materially different in their moral and
intellectual makeup from those who vote
the Republican ticket
| The trouble lay in the fact that the party
had fallen under the leadership of school
Of politicians who were Democrats only in
name. While they affiliated with the
Democratic party they were followers of
| Hamilton rather than of Jefferson, and
when the time came to conduct the govern
ment upon Democratic principles, they
drew back, because they did not sincerely
believe in them.
Under their control the party had ceased
to be a living, vital force in American
politics. and had become mere tail to the
| Republican kite Had it continued under
its old leaders and upon its old platform of
glittering generalities there wouldn't have
been enough of it left to-day to hold a
funeral over.
4
1t wasn't Bryan's adherence to free silver
4 that caused the Democratic defeat-there
isn't an intelligent man in the country who
believes that Democratic Congress would
have the nerve to pass a free coinage bill.
They might tinker with the money ques-
| ton and upset business by the uncertainty
of their action, but no one expects Democ-
racy to take decisive step toward any
policy until it stands committed to that
policy between the years of presidential
election as well as during the presidential
campaign.
For party to jump off its national plat
form as soon as election is over, and stay off
until the next four years come around is
enough to defeat any party that ever
existed.
What the Democratic party needs is not
| reorganization SO much as regeneration.
It needs to become 50 thoroughly imbued
with the principles Of Democracy that it
viii welcome defeat rather than cont
promise.
Instead Of modifying its platform to.
meet the views Of those who do not object
to Republican doctrines SO much as to
Republican office holders it should take
such an emphatic stand in favor of the
principles that it represents as to set the
4 1nfr for oil
1t can well take leaf fron-tAe book of
its opponents in Tho respect
The Republican party never considered
! the question Of modifying its platform to
suit the views of those who were not in
accord with the dominant sentiment of Che
party on the tariff, the CURRENCY OF expan-
sion.
While many of its brightest and best
minds have disagreed with the rest on some
of these questions, they have been COM
PEELED to either bow to the will of the ma
| jority or sever their connection with the
party.
1t seems quite evident that two causes
operated more than anything else against
| the Democrats in the late campaign.
| In the first place there was a lack of
confidence in the Democratic party. When
the party itself is not certain as to the wis
dom of its position on the issues of the
campaign, how can it expect to convince
Others that it is right?
In the second place, practically all
Republicans and nine-tenths of the Demo-
Gratis and Observation-Disclosures that Bryan's
election would result in a business panic.
and another period Of hard times.
Under our one-sided tariff and financial
/ cvctafl1c ha h1cfr,acc sr7toraSfc of 10
country have become so consolidated that
it is in their power to precipitate panic at
any time.
The moral certainty that under Bryan's
administration these pampered fayorites of
Republican legislation would be held to
strict account arrayed them almost solidly
against him, and it was generally believed
that in the event Of his election they would
curtail their operations and use all means
in their power to make hard times during
the ensuing four years in order to set the
people against sBryanism.v
1t is not to be supposed that the majority
of the people meant to endorse system
! that places such arbitrary powers in the
hands of the capitalists.
theoretically they are opposed to it, and
look upon it as an alarming state Of affairs
that is rapidly undermining the foundations
of democratic government.
But the average individual keeps his
theories and his practice in separate water
tight compartments.
For instance: All Christians will admit
that war is inconsistent with the teachings
of Christ, and yet the Christian nations are
the most war-like nations upon the face of
the earth. A vast majority of the people
are satisfied that the Inno, fra flo Il ;,,;,s,;