The Lamar register., 1901-03-13
a Broken Opposition.

President Mckinley has accom-
plished with reference to Congress a
thing thnt seemed impossible. He has
overcome organized opposition to ad-
ministrntion policy. The belief is ex-
pressed that his second term, as was
that of MunrOe, will be known to his
tory as an EZRA of good feeling" The
show of resistance In the Senate TO the
Cuban and Philippine amendments to
the army bill, and the party vote form
ally registered against them did not
represent n real opposition under party
organization.
1t is recognized even by some Demo-
Gratis that opposition to the general
policy of the administration with ref
.erence to our insular affairs is being
so undermined that at this time II may
be said truthfully that 1t Is not repre-
scnted by an anti-administration party
In Congress. There is no party that
can be held together in antagonsm to
the administration. A considerable
number of the Democrats are in such
n state of mind that they are not will
ing to seriously resist the administra-
ton. Underneath this lies n lack Of
faith in opposition being right and the
fact that general cooperation is an
aggressive policy of opposition cannot
be secured. a move in that direction
receives II check at once through the
Threatened disclosure OF the disinte-
grafton that has been going on with
in the Democratic congressional or
gnniZatiOn.
4 The party rs n compact organization
cannot be led into n fight. and every
attempt at such leadership has dis
closed lack of courage or lack of
faith In fhnir nnGittnn ~
Democrats, and disposition, directly
or Indirectly, to aid the President in
carrying out his policy. The resist
ance that is made is either merely
formal Of half-hearted, or is confined
to few individuals who cannot Sc
cure support enough to make their ef-
forts successful. Much of the public
criticism of the Presidents policy is
believed to be insincere, and he has
enough support of an indirect sort
from men who. in their hearts. believe
that the attitude of opposition is
wrong to render ineffective every ef-
fort to organize n minority fight.
There is an underlying good will to-
ward the President within the Demo-
cratic party. This has been brought
about largely through the tact and
skill of the President himself, though
assisted by the divergence of opinion
both us to principles and policies with
in the minority party. The President
has shown n generosity and amiability
toward members of the minority party.
assuming manner of such frankness
toward them and readiness to listen
to them and to treat them in n nom
partisan spirit. that he has succeed
ed in establishing good feeling to an
extent that may hardly be realized by
the public, and which is effective in
taking the real force out of partisan
opposition In Congress.
a tremendous effort was made by a
few men to arouse party spirit and
to force n relentless fight against the
Cuban and Philippine propositions,
but the feeling could not be found that
would be necessary to sustain such a
struggle. Besides the feeling of half
approval of the administration policy,
there was encountered fear to take
the responsibility for consequences
that might follow an interference with
the Presidents plans. While the mi
nority might be held together fairly
well for a merely formal opposition,
this could be only with the knowledge
that 1t was not to amount to anything.
The weakness of the party spirit
that holds the Democrats in Congress
together is an alarming revelation to
some of the party leaders. 1t is real
lied that strong feeling of loyalty to
the administration and good will to.
ward Mckinley exists within the So
called opposition, and that the minor
ity party is so uncertain in its atti-
tude that the President has only an in
dividual, not an organized party oppo-
sltion in Congress. This is regarded
as one of the greatest triumphs for
any president in many years.-Wash-
ington Star.