The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-09-05
Emasculating Democracy.

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
capacity of the people for self-govern-
ment. Democracy in an open tight
need not fear either aristocracy-the
rule of the best (as they style them
selves) or plutocracy, the rule of the
rich. In an honest fight democracy
can rely with confidence upon the
of it's cause and trust
the conscience and intelligence of the
people. Victory may be delayed, but
it cannot be prevented if the democrat
ic party remains steadfast in its sup
port of democratic principles. The
greatest danger which confronts de-
mocracy today is that it will be emas-
culated and robbed of it's force and vi
tality by those who cling to the dem
ocratic name but constantly give aid
and comfort to the republican party.
For the purpose of illustration three
daily papers may be mentioned. They
loudly proclaim their loyalty to dem
ocratic principles and roundly condemn
those who were responsible for the
Chicago platform. They deserted the
party in 1896 and supported the Pal
mer and Bucl1ner ticket-a ticket that
polled about one hundred and thirty
thousand votes all told, and carried one
f,1ncinnf in, thn IT,,itoI Hnhayy
gave protesting support to the ma
tional ticket in 1900 and ever since the
election have been industriously at
work ''reorganizing" the democratic
party. The papers referred to are the
New York World, the Louisville Cour-
ier-Journal and the Chicago Chronicle.
Each paper is the best representative
of it's class in the section in which it
circulates.
On the money question all three sup
port the republican position; they are
mouth pieces of the great fnanciers;
they breathe the poisoned air that has
passed through the lungs of Wall
Street. No financial policy is too
cruel, no dollar is too dear, no money
system too despotic for them to en-
dorse; provided, always, it has the en-
dorsement of the money changers.
They not only want to make gold the
only standard money but they want to
retire the greebaclss and substitute ma
tional 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 is
sue. They conjure with the name of
Jackson, and yet jackson made his
greatest reputation fighting bank of
issue. If these papers had their way
the democratic 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 pol
icy, while the Caurier-Janrnal and
the Chronicle advocate a surrender TO
the republicans on this issue.
The Courier Journal admits that the
democratic position is the correct one
so far as principles are concerned, but
contends that commercialism is bound
to win and that the democratic party
should "get into the band wagon"
1t breaches the gospel of expediency-
q doctrine which demoralizes the party
by making everything subordinate to
the desire to win temporary success.
The Chronicle goes a little farther
and declares that the democratic party
would not carry out the promise made
made last fall, even it could. The fol-
lowing is from recent editorial in
that paper:
''There will be no revolution in
American politics which will result
in comforting independence on the peo-
pie of the Philippines. If the demo-
Gratis should carry the next presiden-
tial election, and should elect a ma
jority of both houses of congress, the
Philippines would not be abandoned
They are with us for good or for evil,
as time shall determine, and it is
mostly for them to say whether it
shall be for their good"
1t will be remembered that the dem
oSiopAS iioolO1ul SoIIfCIlUlOu VI lJUU,
without a dissenting vote, and amid
unparalleled enthusiasm, declared it
to be the duty of this nation to imme-
diately announce its purpose: First to
establish stable government in the
Philippines; second, to turn that gov
eminent over to the Filipinos and give
them independence, and third, to pro-
tect the Filipinos from outside inter
ference as we have protected the re-
publics of Central and South America.
There was difference of opinion as to
wording of the money plank, but none
as to the party's position on imperial
ism. And yet. the Courier-J ournal
and the Chronicle are willing to give
up the defense of the Declaration of
Independence and accept the republican
theory of government theory iden-
tical 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
A number of mouthpieces of trusts
and mOnopolieS Drofe ~ ro l,a erra,+ =;