The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1901-01-10
the DEMOCRATIC DUTY.
Forces Must Combine and Con.
solidate.
CANNOT SET ASIDE PRINCIPLES.

Question of Leadersbip Is of least
Importance and Will he Decided
by the voters--Test of Party Mem
bership-Fealty to Platform and
Candidates.
There have been several ebullitions
from Princeton, and there have been
speeches delivered In Lincoln, all of
which must stand for the Importance
the Democratic voters Of the country
may choose to give them, says the At
ianta Constitution.
The battle for Democratic leadership
will of course run along with the eff
forts of the Democratic voters to place
themselves where they can be most ef-
fective. The voters have been baked
by defeat, but wherever a compact
mass Of 100000 men Is to be found,
coming within a fraction of being the
majority, the majority for the time be-
ing will be uneasy, while men who sat
upon the fence, as well as those who
fought in the ranks, will hasten to get
within the limits Of probable success.
The man who sleeps In battle receives
the same treatment In court martial
with the one who deserts. military law
recognizing no difference in conditions.
1t is not often that draft is made
upon the enemy for leader or that
the one who furnished aid and COM
fort to the enemy Is exalted above the
men in the trenches. There are today
two sets of men in the countryside
defeated Democratic hosts, haggard
with loss of blood and not yet recover
ed in spirit. Their depression of feel
come as the result of good fight and
marks the political party as wounds
do a soldier The other class Is form
ed Of the enemy and of the opportunist,
the one fought us openly and the other
screaming out the derisive taunt of II
told you So" Very well, let that be the
extent of their service. The taunt may
the fighter to surrender nor improves
MS OPINION or the Oouger.
AS Mr.. Bryan has declared, Demo-
cratic principles still live. Tried In the
battle, true to his party. he is entitled
to all the honor accorded by tradition
TO be nominated chief Of the party.
Another, who was not found where
fidelity and gratitude demanded that
he should be, sententiously says, "Give
the rank and file a chance" Placing
these two exponents side by side for
the present purpose, their expressions
amount to the same thing in effect.
Democratic principles cannot be set
aside by opportunists. but In the hands
of the rank and file they will be up
held on every proper occasion. The
defeated nominee for the governorship
of Indiana speaks for the Democracy
of his state, and in the same spirit will
the answer come from all along the
red line marking the conflict Of oppOs-
ing forces. But there Is one point
which would be well to keep In mind,
and that Is the Democratic line Is now
all file. The rank stands wide open
for promotion. Whether those who
have heretofore stood in the favored
places shall continue to do so depends
altogether upon the will Of the file.
This brings us to the point which we
desire SO much to emphasize. Under
our form Of government every popular
movement is from the ground floor up.
The file is Oh the ground floor and 1t is
composed of the men who have sup
ported the party action. II matters not
that they may have differed in policy;
that some would have preferred one
course and some another. The test Is
the deposited ballot. In every state
this file will move In its own way. q
unit upon basic Democratic principles.
but divergent more or less upon tenn
porary or current issues. BY and by
these leaders will be called into nation
al convention, to which they must
bring their works as the best claim to
hearing. There an agreement must
be reached In which all cannot be sue
cessful. Some men must surrender
cherished opinions for the public good,
but the sacrifice will be on the altar
of party for the good Of the country
which can best be served by that party.
In 1892 the Democratic presidential
! candidate. In letter to the editor OF
The Constitution, claimed as his right
the personal support and vote Of every
Democrat, Notwithstanding their oppo-
sition to his financial views. The claim
made by him was that the party had
acted and that the. success of the gem
eral principles Of the party was OF more
Importance than the success or the de-
feat Of some personal view held by the
candidate. Answering this appeal to
party loyalty. the Democracy Of states
Intensely free silver In tone voted for
Mr.. Cleveland and elected him. The
| fact that Mr.. Cleveland In the election
following failed to stand by his own
declarations as to what constituted par-
ty loyalty is his personal misfortune
and does not affect the principle at is.
sue.
There will be another movement
among the Democratic hosts In which
Democratic principles will find express
sion In language best suited to the par
| ty. and upon which Democrats holding
the confidence of the masses will be
called into leadership. That the views
SO expressed will be to the liking Of ev-
cry voter is mental as well as a phys
ical lmpossibillty, but II will be the du-
~ of all Democrats to stand by the
platform and the nominees, whether
such act brings victory or defeat.