The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-07-04
Business and the Democratic Party.

Under the above heading the New
York San some days ago contained
the following interesting editorial:
Senator Clay of Georgia has been
giving some advice to the Demo
cratic party. He wants it to reform,
to move out of Bedlam. TO wave away
the wild Populists, to make itself
friends of the Mammon of UPRIGHT
eousness. Instead of going in the
direction of Populism," he says, 1--WE
must shape our policy so as to meet
the interests and the demands of the
business interests of the whole coun-
try" He declares that the Dem
ocratic party has no fight to make
on capital and that it docs not an
tagonize any business interests"
We don't know where Mr.. Clay's
Democratic party is to be found. 1t
is not the Democratic party of 1896
and 1900. For five years that Demo
cratic party has been fighting the
business interests of the whole coun-
try. 1t has sought to force a debased
currency upon the nation. 1t has
cried for an income tax, sort of fine
upon capital. 1t has howled like a
demoniac against Capital, the Money
Power, Wall Street, the Corporations,
the Trusts. 1t has tried to get into
power by setting 1.-The producing
classes against the 'plutocrats." 1t
has roared against "base commercial
ISM" Its chief occupation has been
to make itself offensive to business.
and it has seemed to regard wealth as
a sort of crime.
The anti-wealth crusade hasn't paid.
A great many Democrats have been
alienated by it. New York, New Jer-
sey and Connecticut have been lost
on account of it. In the East and in
the West it has been a failure, and
even the South, resignedly tolerant
of Democratic eccentricities, is weary
of it. 1t is pleasant to be prosperous,
and Democrats have no objection to
taking their share of prosperity. 1t
is no wonder that many of them are
restless at the abnormal position of
their party, sick of radical rant, eager
for more business and less buncombe.
But how can party turn complete
somersault and escape ridicule How
can the Democratic party purge it.
self of Populism? Not by the mere
rejection of actual fusion with the
Populist party. The Dem ocracy is
itself thoroughly tainted with Popu-
list notions. The infection is less in
the East, strong in the West and
South. Suspicion or hatred of cap
ital may still be seen in the legis-
latures of Southern States, such as
Arkansas and Texas. In some West
ern States like Nebraska and Arkan-
sas the Democrats amount to nothing
without Populist aid. Admitting that
the Democratic party can go alone,
how is it to expel the Populism that
has grown into it and become its
master? Bryan is nothing more nor
less than Populist; and Bryan is
still the Democratic leader with the
greatest following. Behind him is
Organism, fierce, insistent, radical
force, intolerant of wealth, anxious
to NEEDLE with business. Are Bryan
and the Bryanites to become sane all
of a sudden, give up their epileptic
fits of speech, and agree all at once to
put the dollar above the man?''
And all the Democratic leaders who
have been Cabling Organism Even
if they are willing to eat their words,
can those words be forgotten? Even
if the Democratic party had the
wish and the power to change its
principles and to appear as the friend
and not the enemy of business, would
business be much impressed thereby?