The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-18

and popular rights moving the rank and
file of their membership have urged them
into the advocacy of untenable doctrines,
politically and socially, and placed them
in opposition to the trend of enlightened
thought. Conservatism of belief and
policy is an essential ingredient in all
political organizations which seek to as
sumo direction of the affairs of any in
telligent people. Notwlths .anding the
to take up the guage for the weaker side
in the battle of life, there has always
animated them, in their political conduct,
the steadying influence which has kept
the two parties generally in line with
| the substantial interests of their re-
spective countries.
There is, even for American Democrats,
a mournful significance in the current
declaration of Lord Rosebery concerning
the present attitude of the party. No
party can flourish, and no party, save
alcne that which represents the aspira-
tons of the common people and is accept
ed by them in that respect, can survive,
which sets itself in antagonism to the
! national sympathies or to reasonable pol
icies. insisted on by the body of people
in any great national crisis Demo-
cratic leadership put itself in an utterly
false position toward the war for the
! preservation of the Union, and it has
never overcome the consequences since
then. While the rank and file of the
party went into the Southern battle fields
and gave up their lives for the preserva-
ton of the Union, the leaders, in too many
cases, preached the doctrine of copper
headism and reputation In a lesser
degree it proved false to itself when it
repudiated the economic teachings of it's
founders and of its greatest statesmen
and set iself up in 1886 and again in 1900
in opposition to the business interests
of the entire country.
There can be no running with the
hare and coursing with the hounds in
politics. political party must sustain
the recognized welfare and honor of the
country it represents or it must be
against both. The Liberal party, in plead
ing for division of sentiment within it's
ranks on the leading imperial issue at
present before the British nation, is as
Lord Rosebery points out putting itself
utterly out of touch with the national
sentiment, and is, as consequence, like
ly to remain so out of touch for many
Years to come.
1t is so with tne Democratic party, and
will so remain SO long as it is the party
of a mere class, as Mr.. Bryan and his
associate leaders would have 1t be- or the
party Of a mere section, as the pro-slay-
cry Leadership prior to 1865 would have
it be. Like the Liberal party of Eng
land the Democratic party of the United
States will be accepted as the party
of the people just as soon as 1t shows the
masses that it has a we'll defined pro-
gramme worthy Of acceptance by an en-
Hghtened nation, and promotive at once
of the rights of the individual and the
dignity and honor of the nation.
The best achievements of the British
nation found their origin and inspiration
in the policies of the Liberal partv.
just as the United States were made and
maintained through the Democracy Of
Jefferson and his successors, the home
Of constitutional liberty How long these
parties will respectively submit to beng
blinded and misled by stupid leadership
should be a matter of profound concern
to every friend of civil liberty and ma
tional progress the world over.