The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-06-06
Democracy to Succeed Must
Face to the Front Must
Progress, Not Go Back
ward.
New York Journal Outlines a Plan Of Action
For the Party TO Pursue Public Ownership
OF Public Utilities Destruction Ct Trusts
Graduated Income Tax.


party of progress. 1t will succeed
as T;lden said, when it has the cour-
rage to be Democratic.
The recent municipal elections
in the west have driven that lesson
home for the hundredth time. AT
ter eight years of wandering among
blind trails of retrogression, each
leading to staggering defeat, the
Democracy turns to the front and
finds victory.
The men who led the triumphant
Democracy in Cleveland, in Chi
ago, in Toledo and in a dozen other
cities were alive themselves and
made their campaigns on live is
sues. Such things as the public
ownership of public utilities and
the preservation of municipal wa
ter fronts from corporate raids won
the favor of the voters, as they
always do whenever they are fairly
presented.
1t is evident that the silver
mummy has been finally sealed in
it's sarcophagus. In the old strong
holds Of free coinage the party has
lost ground. In the cities whose
people refuse to tolerate attacks Oh
the monetary standard it has gained
men and their opponents thus re-
coguize the extinction Of the issue.
1t is evident, 100, that there is no
life in what is inaccurately des-
cribed as "anti-imperialism." Real
anti-imperialism of course Is inper-
ishable and irresistible. Opposition
to the policy Of acquiring Sub.
ljects' and governing them through
military proconsuls who suppress
newspapers and deport critics will
never subside. But the programme
of abandoning the Philippines to
an oriental deapotism instead of
endowing them with American
freedom cannot be made popular
by calling it anti-imperialism.
Free silver is a cumbrous fnan-
cial system that was useful in its
day, but has been outgrown. To
go back to it now would be retro
gression, not progress. SO would
be the abandonment Of the Phillip
pines. The Democracy can never
prosper as retrogressive party.
| Whenever it has flourished, it has
been as a party Of action one that
has embodied American energy
and couragc-one that has needed
only to know that it has been right
and then has gone ahead.
On reactionary issues the Demo.
cracy was bound to be defeated, as
the journal foretold time and again.
The minds that tend toward reaction
are naturally attracted toward the
Republican party. Most of the
votes Of that kind of people will in
evitably go in that direction. 1t is
no use for the Democracy to try 10
, get them away. But when the
, Democratic candidates in any Sec
ton represent progressive policies
and live issues, as Carter Harrison
did in Chicago and Tom L. Johnson
in Cleveland, the Democracy wins.
Municipal ownership has been
the winning card in these city elec-
ton. There are issues of similar
, order that would be equally popular
in local, state and national contest
, The ./ownal some time ago offered
a programme of this kind, and il
feels encouraged by recent events
to call attention to it again. Here
is what we suggested as twentieth
f century internal policy:
!, Fist. - Election of senators by the people
The senate, now becoming the private pro.
perty Of corporation and bosses, to be made
truly representative and the state legislature
to be redeemed from scandals.
Second Destruction of criminal trusts
No monopolization of the national resources
by lawless private combination more power
full than the peoples government.
Third. No protection for oppressive
trusts. Organizations powerful enough tC
oppress the people are no longer ''infanI
indus tries
Fourlh.--Public ownership of public fran
chises. The values created by the commun
ity should belong to the community.
Fifth.--A graduated income tax. Eve,
citizen to contribute to the support of the
government according to his means anc
not according to his necessities.
Sixlh.--Currency reform. All the nation
money to be issued by the nations govern
ment and its supply to be regulated by the
people and not by the banks.
Seventh National, state and municipal
Improvement of the public school system
As the duties of citizenship are both genera
and local every government, general and
local, should do its share toward fitting
every individual to perform them.
The journal again urges that
platform upon the Democratic party.
Here are live issues, founded upon
| Democratic principles. Here are