Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-02-12
DEMOCRACY.

From the beginning the Democratic
party has been misunderstood by many
people, some of whom were incapable
of comprehending its principles aud
many of whom had personal and polit-
zeal reasons for perverting and denying
them. It is true also that it has had
leaders who either did not understand
the ideas on which the organization
was based or did not care whether they
were preserved or not.
Because Democracy in the early days
favored manhood suffrage and opposed
government by 1.-The wise, the rich and
the good" it was held by some of its
enemies that it was antogonistic to the
wise, the rich aid the good.
Because Democracy resisted to the
utmost every establishment of religion
| and every law or custom preventing the
free exercise of religion, it was de-
clared in hundreds of pulpits that it
was irreligious and pagan and that its
aseendency would lead inevitably to
the. destruction of all piety and all
morals.
Because Democracy denied the right
| of any man or of any set OF men to reg
ulate the Cut and the color of the peo-
pies clothing, the persons interested
in the maintenance of such laws set up
the claim that it was inimical to clean
shirts, and must therefore be unclean
and unwhOleSome.
Because the Democracy opposed in
reference with the personal liberties
of the people in all harmless customs it
was set forth by fanatics and bigots
that Democracy must necessarily be in
league with the vicious and the de-
graded.
Because Democracy denied the eff
cacy of oppressive and tyrannical pro-
hibitory laws it was held by many peo-
pie that it was beyond question the
rumsellers' party.
Because Democracy taught the PEG
pie to be watchful in the presence of
all who would abridge their rights and
to resist all oppression to the utmost,
it was set forth in many a learned and
solemn paper that it was a lawless and
revolutionary organization, hostile to
all government and likely at any time
to breed seditOn and engage in riot and
rebellion.
| Because Democracy resisted and
finally overthrow a monopolistic IA
tiOnal bank, the advocates and SER
wants of that bank set up the claim that
it was hostile to business interests and
to the rich.
Because Democracy has antagOniZed
the Wing and Republican idea that it
Is legitimate function of government
to tax all of the people for the benefit
of few of the people who may have
influence enough to secure the passage
of tariff or subsidy laws, every benef-
ciary of such legislation has proclaimed
it as a fact that it was an enemy of
labor as we'll as of capital and had
British gold in its pockets.
Because Democracy has not admitted
that men in fire raiment were neceSSar-
lily superior intellectually and morally
to men in jeans and hOmespun, it has
pleased society on many occasions to
sniff at it and to decree that it was be-
yond the pale of fashion.
Because Democracy has frOwned up
on titles, decorations and fiummery of
every description and has so arranged
the laws of this country that they are
not to be had here, it never has been
in high favor with the frivolous or the
aristocratic.
hoe OF
of a judiciary holding Office for life and
on several occasions has expressed in
vigorous language its appreciation of
the dangers of such a system, it has
been held by many prejudiced or unin-
formed people to be hostile to all
courts, unfriendly to the administration
of justice and more or less favorable to
anarchy.
These a;e some of the reasons why
the Democratic party has been in bad
reputa with certain elements of our
population. They explain many of the
prejudices with which the organization
is regarded by people who have had no
personal reason to entertain such pre-
JUDGES. They are badges of honor and
not of dishono". They have marked and
emphasized the deliverance from po-
IiticaI bondage of a great. people. If
the ideas on which they are based had
been more carefully observed by the
Democracy they would have caused the
deliverance of that people from indus
trial and commercial, despotism, as
we'll as from political and social bond
age.-Chicago Chronicle.