The news & observer., 1901-01-02
REoRGAN1zINGTH THE DEMOCRACY

The WlSeSt, aDleSt, most timely ana
most comprehensive editorial, showing
the cearest perception of political condi-
tions in the United States, that has ap-
peared in many months is the editorial
on "Reorganizing the Democracy" which
appeared in a recent issue of the Spring
field Republican. Ii is SO good that we
make room for it in full. 1t is as fol-
lows:
"Mr Cleveland's announcement that he
did not vote for Mckinley, and his positive
refusal to say for whom he did vote, will
have no particularly softening effect upon
the bitter relations existing between him
self and the Bryan Democracy. The fact
remains that in a great contest involving
fundamental issues touching the honor
and the humanity of the nation and devo-
tion to it's own traditions and former
ideals-a contest that tore such men as
Governor Boutwell, from the political as
sociations of a lifetime and forced men
like Mr.. Olney into seeming support of
disturbing or dangerous economic notions
Mr.. Cleveland's influence was reduced to
zero by his own persistent efforts; and
for this reason if for no other, it is not
tor in any reorganization of the Demo-
cratic party which the situation would
seem to call for
This conclusion gains strength from
a consideration of what Mr.. Cleveland
has recently had to say respecting the
party's need at the present juncture. That
he fails to understand the meaning and
character of the revolution OF 1896 is in
dicated in his demand that the rank and
file now be given a chance; for if ever
the rank and file of the Democratic party
had chance and seized upon it in the
fullest measure. it was when the old
party leadership was angrily and indis-
criminately overturned in the convention
of four years ago. Changes of that kind
are not effected by the unsupported
strength of a factious and discontented
minority in the party councils, they are
the work of far deeper and broader forces,
and the very sweep and recklessness of
the Chicago platform demands go to dem
onstrate the fundamental nature of the
party disturbance. The Democracy may
have been going off after false gods, as
Mr.. Cleveland says, but the idolatry has
none the less certainly been of the rank
and file.
who-Mr. Cleveland being out of the ques-
tion-is to lead the party over to them?
What are the first principles of which
so much is said? Simply tariff reform,
strict construction and the -least-gov
ment-the- best? Excellent program, un-
doubtedly, SO far as it goes; but does any
sane man suppose that it will suffice in
the present popular awakening respecting
the growth and aggrandizements of con-
centrated wealth, which have raised up
"a new menace to popular government
and personal liberty'-never SO strikingIy
exhibited as in this present conscience
less willingness to rob people of their
just liberties and kill them by the thou
sands in order to make their land step
ping stone, no matter how slippery with
blood, for syndicate advantage in the
trade of the Orient?
This new menace of the time to popu
lar government and popular rights, and
this rising popular spirit to meet it, must
be recognized in any reformation of the
opposition party which takes place, or the
opposition party will be rent asunder far
more completely and hopelessly than it
has been in the past four years Nothing
can be more assuredly affirmed than this.
Nothing can be more certain than that a
reorganization of the Democracy simply
on the lines of the first principles which
the ultra gold faction evidently have in
mind, will divide the vote cast for Bryan
in the last two presidential elections be-
tween socialism and a leadership which
shall make the reorganized party but as
the pale reflection of the party now in
power
There is no need of expanding on the
essential correctness of this view. What
Mr.. Olney has called syndicated control
of the American government; what so
discerning and discriminating a critic as
Prof. Goldwin Smith has analyzed as an
actual, present menace of organized, ag
grandizing plutocracy; what Abram S.
Hewitt is moved by when he declares that
every industrial center in the country
had better be destroyed, as were Sodom
and Gomorrah, than that this overshadow-
ing concentration Of wealth should exist
in contentment with the foul and misera +
bic and unequal conditions that have ac-
companied its requirement; this IS what
the masses of the people are thinking of
and are awaking TO quite as much, no
doubt, as the men in high and influential
station whom we have mentioned
And the party which is successfully TO
take issue with an unparalleled admins
tration must be alive to this fact, must
recognize the evil to be met must as
sumo an aggressive championship of the
popular right against undue corporate
privilege. and must, if it can, draw to it,
self leadership which will command the
confidence of the masses of the people
while not antagonizing the thoughtfully
progressive and unselfish. element to be
found among the privileged and property