The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-09-06
EMASCULATlNG DEMOCRACY.
The New York World, Louisville
Courier-Journal and Chicago s- -,
Chronicle.
The Commonerl


THE Commoner
In real Democracy there is throbbing
ever present life There is nothing
more vigorous and virile than Democ-
racy when it stands for the rule of the
people-the right of the people to CON
troll their own government and the ca
pacity of the people FOR self govern
ment. Democracy in All open fight
need not fear either aristOcracy the
rule Of the best as the few st, lie them
selves or plutocracy, the rule of the
rich. In an honest fight Democracy
can rely with confidence upon the right
eousness of their cause and trust the con-
sciene and intelligence of Athe people
Victory may be delayed, but it cannot
be prevented if the Democratic party
remains steadfast in it's support of Dem
ocratic principles. The greatest dan.
ger which confronts Democracy today
is that it will be emasculated and rob-
bed Of its force and vitality by those
who cling to the Democratic name but
constantly give aid and comfort to the
republican party. For the purpose of il
lustration three daily papers may be
mentioned. They loudly proclaim their
| loyalty to Demcratic principles and
roundly condemn those who were re-
sponsible for the Chicago platform.
They deserted the party in 1896 and
supported the Palmer and Buckner
ticket-a ticket that polled about one
hundred and thirty thousand votes,
all told, and carried one precinct in
the United States. They gave a pro-
testing support to the national ticket
in 1900, and ever since the election
have been industriously at work ''re-
organizing" the Democratic party.
The papers referred to are the New
York World the Louisville Courier
Journal and the Chicago Chronicle.
Each paper is the best representative of
its class i'll the section in which it
circulates.
On the money question all three sup
port the republican position they are
moIth pieces of the great financiers !;
they breathe the poisoned air that has
passed through the lungs of Wall
Street. No financial policy is too cruel,
no dollar too dear no money system
too despotic for them to endorse pro-
of the money changers. They not only
want to make gold the only standard
money, but they want to retire the
greenbacks and substitute national
bank notes. They often pirate of their
love of jefferson, and yet they know
that jefferson was always and at all
times the enemy of banks of issue.
They conjure with the name of Jack
son, and yet Jack son made his greatest
reputation fighting bank of Issue. If
these papers had their way the demo-
cratic party would disregard entirely
the interests which the masses have in
a stable dollar, and would make the
party the exponent of those whom
Carlisle once described as the idle
holders of idle capital.
On the question of imperialism these
papers do not entirely agree. The
World still condemns an imperial policy,
while the Courier Journal and the
Chronicle advocate surrender to the
republicans ON this issue.
1t will be remembered that the
democratic national convention of 1900
without dissenting vote, and amid
unparalleled enthusiasm, declared it to
be the duty of this nation to i'm
mediately announce its purpose
First, to establish stable government
in the PHILIPPINES; second to turn that
government over to the Filipinos and
give them independence, and third, to
protect the Filipinos from outside in
reference as we have protected the re-
, publics of Central and South America.
, There was difference of opinion as to
the wording of the money plank, but
none as TO the party's position ON i'm
| 1Apri.liGDn nd uat tho or
Journal and the Chronicle are willing
to give up the defense of the Declara-
ton of Independence and accept the re-
theory identical with that announced
by George the Third.
, On the trust question no two of the
three papers agree. The World is very
much afraid of the trusts, but does
not know what to do about them; the
J Courier Journal does not know whether
it is afraid or not, and the Chronicle
isn't worried at all, tut all three OF
the papers lose no opportunity to mis-
represent and malign those who are in
earnest in their efforts to destroy
private monopolies.
The papers above mentioned illus
/ trate the confusion, conflict and uncer.
tainty that prevail among those who
oppose the Kansas City platform. Il
a convention were called of the daily
papers which want to repudiate the
Kansas City platform, and their editors
were required to submit new platform
satisfactory to all of them, they would
adjourn sine die before they agreed
upon single important plank. They
represent all shades of opinion OF
every question and are harmonious
about nothing except their contemp
for the patri rtism and intelligence o.
the more than six million voters wht
in spite of corruption and coercion sup
ported the party in two national cam
, paigns. The Kansas City platform il
a positive, clear and emphatic applica
ton of democratic principles to presen
conditions. When person stand
upon that platform and gives to it hi
unqualified endorsement, the peopl,
] know what to expect of him.
) is it strange that the Democrat,
3 party has made slow progress when i
is remembered that for five years tn
leading dailies which claim to b.
Democratic, have given more assistance
to the opposition than to their owl
: partyG Between campaigns they hav
: been cOndemning the platform of tn
e party and discrediting those who en-