Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-07-30
signs of Democratic Revival.

Recent SNSulS III l1ldl otdlG dlC Ia
cuIated to set honest men to thinking,
and to drive them to some remedy for
the disgrace which has now fallen upon
them. In discussing the action of May
or Ashbridge, of Philadelphia, in Civ
ing franchises to his friends for which
he held cash offer of $2,500,000, it has
been denounced by The Philadelphia
Press as dishonest. 1t must be remem-
bered that Mayor Ashbridge was but
a cog in the wheel of Pennsylvania Re
publican politics, and that the legis-
lation which he assisted in making et-
fective came from the inner circles OF
the ruling Republican party, bearing
the sign manual of the Governor OF
the State. Thus the wholesale squan-
dering of public interests is a pecu-
liarly Republican act for which that
party must be held responsible. In all
the efforts of The Press to denounce
and circumvent the rifing of public
values it has not been able. and will
not be able, to clear the Republican
party from responsibility. 1t is in this
stage that The Times calls upon the
Democrats of Pennsylvania to take ad-
vantage of the situation. In order to
show what the party can do if it only
will. The Times says:
There can be no question about the
presence of a live Democratic spirit in
this State. Recur to the figures for a
moment. 1t gave Tilden 366, 158 votes.
1t gave Hancock-a Pennsylvania
407,502. 1t gave Grover Cleveland,
running against a native of Pennsyl-
vania, 392, 7S5; it raised this four years
later to 446,663, and again four years
later it increased it to 452, 264. This
was high-water mark. With free silver
in 1896 Bryan received only 427 ,12o,
and last year there was another drop
to 424, 232.
But taking the figures at their lowest
we find an army of Democrats in Penn
sylvania who outnumber those of every
State except New York, Illinois and
Ohio. Pennsylvania cast over $4,000
more Democratic votes last year than
Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Louis
lana, Mississippi, South. Carolina,
Georgia and Nebraska put together.
Nor is this all. Considering that there
was no special inducement to get out
the Democratic vote in this State and
taking into consideration the large
number of Democrats who could not
accept the Chicago platform, it is evil
fhot fhnrn in pnnncUlUq MIA
more than 100000 Democrats, and that
in numerical strength Pennsylvania is
the third Democratic State in the Ma
ton, New York being first and Hi
nois second, although there is some
question as to whether or not PehnSyl-
vania on a full count could not show a
total that would equal-and possibly
exceed-that of Illinois.
Every word here spoken points to
the fact that the Democratic party of
the State of Pennsylvania has such an
opportunity to rehabilitate itself as has
not been presented to it for fifty years.
1t has won in State elections twice
within the last twenty years upon is
sues much weaker than those which it
can command to-day. When we add to
this large Democratic army the tens
Of thousands of patriotic citizens who,
voting the Republican ticket for tradi-
tiOnal reasons, are now anxious to re-
deem their State, we can see what an
opportunity is presented. OF course,
this calls for an up-tO-date policy, one
freighted with the hopes of the pres
ent day and looking to the welfare of
the future.
The Democratic party must cease
from being mere objector in national
councils and become the agent of the
constructive force of the people of the
union. Taking such a stand, regarding
the past as in history and the future
as yet to be made, the Democratic par
ty has an opportunity for leadership
which it should not throw away. In
bringing about such a condition as this
the traditional Democratic States can
do but little. They have already been
doing their best. The responsibility
for forward action rests with the Dem
ocrats of such. States as Pennsylvania,
who have it in their power by taking
the right side in State politics, to gain
local control and thus have an influ-
ence upon the decisions of the national
party. With such numbers as the
Democrats constitute in Pennsylvania,
it requires only independent action and
the patriotic regard for the highest in
terests of the State to win the support
of those Republicans who seek release
from the machine which has so
wrecked their public institutions. The
Times declares that Pennsylvania
Democrats do not believe in vagaries.
The masses are still true to the old
principles that have endured since the
nation began"
This being the case, we can readily
join with The Times in hoping that
with the Pennsylvania Democracy re-
vitalized and strengthened, there could
be no doubt as % the policy of the self
respecting Republicans who have come
to the point where they must choose
between sacrificing a thieying minority
of their own organization and saving
the honor and m5terfaI welfare of their
State" The Democrats of the country
viii watch with hope and interest the
position taken by their brethren in
Pennsylvania, who have thus an op-
portunity of setting up the standard of
honesty and patriotism to replace that
Of plumber and pelf.-Atlanta Constitu-
ton.
Trusts and Tariff.
Notwithstanding the discussion there
has been OF Representative Babcock's
proposition to put trust products on the
free list there is conceded to be very
little probability that the Republican
party will ad0Dt any sr,cb measure Tho