The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-03-19
A Broken Opposition.

President Mckinley has accom-
plished with reference to Congress a
thing that seemed impossible. He has
overcome organized opposition to ad-
ministration policy. The belief is eX-
pressed that his second term. as was
that of Munroe, will be known to his
tory as an 'era of good feeling" The
show of resistance in the Senate 20 tho
Cuban and Philippine amendments to
the army bill, and the party vote form
ally registered against them did not
represent n real opposition under party
organization.
1t Is recognized even by some Demo-
Gratis that opposition to the general
policy of the administration with ref
erence to our insular affairs is being
| so undermined that at this time 1T may
be said truthfully that 1t is not repre-
sented by an anti-administration party
in Congress. There is no party that
can be held together in antagonism to
the administration. A considerable
number of the Democrats are in such
state of mind that they are not will
ing to seriously resist the administra-
ton. Underneath this lies n lack OF
faith in opposition being right and the
fact that general cooperation is au
aggressive policy of opposition cannot
be secured. a move in that direction
receives q check at once through the
threatened disclosure of the disinte-
grafton that has been going on with
in the Democratic congressional or
ganiZation.
The party as n compact organization
cannot be led into a fight, and every
attempt at such leadership has dis
closed lack of courage or lack of
faith in their own position among
| Democrats, and a disposition, directly
| or indirectly, to aid the President in
| carrying out his policy. The resist
ance that is made is either merely
FORMAL of half-hearted, or is confined
| to a few individuals who cannot Sc
cure support enough to make their eff
| forts successful. Much of the public
| criticism of the Presidents policy is
believed to be insincere, and he has
enough support of an indirect sort
| from men who, in their hearts, believe
that the attitude of opposition is
| wrong to render Ineffective every ef-
| fort to organize n minority fight.
There is an underlying good will to-
ward the President within the Demo-
cratic party. This has been brought
about largely through the tact and
skill of the President himself though
assisted by the divergence of opinion
both as to principles and policies with
in the minority party. The President
has shown generosity and amiability
toward members Of the minority party,
assuming n manner of such frankness
toward them and readiness to listen
to them and to treat them in n nom
| partisan spirit, that he has succeed
| ed in establishing good feeling to an
| extent that may hardly be realized by
the public, and which is effective in
| taking the real force out of partisan
| opposition in Congress.
A tremendous effort was made by
| few men to grouse party spirit and
to force a relentless fight against the
Cuban and Philippine propositions,
| but the feeling could not be found that
would be necessary to sustain such n
struggle. Besides the feeling of half
| approval of the administration policy,
| there was encountered fear to take
| the responsibility for consequences
| that might folI w an interference with
! the Presidents plans. While the mi
| nority might be held together fairly
well for merely formal opposition,
this could be only with the knowledge
that it was not to amount to anything.
The weakness of the party spirit
| that holds the Democrats in Congress
| together is an alarming revelation to
| some of the party leaders. 1t is real
| lied that a strong feeling of loyalty to
| the administration and good will to-
ward Mckinley exists within the So
called opposition, and that the minor
ity party is so uncertain in it's atti-
tude that the President has only an in
dividual, not an organized party oppo-
sition in Congress. This is regarded
as one of the greatest triumphs for
| any president in many years.-Wash-
ington Star.