The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1902-07-03

however tney may ulSSeHl irOm one
another regarding particular political
issues, should compose their differ
ences and, rallying under one common
banner, resolve to make united, con-
certed and consolidated effort to check
the evil tendencies that are now eating
out the heart of democratic America,
says the New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat. Democrats should recognize that
the greater things in life crowd the
smaller out; that in face of common
enemy members of the same household
should get together and keep together;
that when ones house is afire it is the
owners duty, as jefferson once pointed
out, not to arrest the thief who may
be stealing the furniture, but to put
out the flames.
To the Democratic party in this coun-
try is today presented an opportunity
that seldom comes to political organ
ization. The American people are in
revolt against the men and measures
that now rule the nation. Evils of
trusts have at length awakened among
the people keen sense of resentment.
On this one issue the present admins
tration should be defeated at the polls.
The inequality of existing tariff laws
is another question that comes home
to the great mass of the voters. The
foreign policy of the government is an
emphatic disappointment. 1t was never
intended that the flag of this country
should ever be perverted, as it has
been in the Philippines, into an EN-
blem Of torture, spoliation and murder.
Millions of men In this land today who
are willing to die for their country are
indignant that the moral standards of
this nation have been lowered by the
policy of imperialism. The people are
both impressed and depressed by the
results of the governments colonial
experiment" The war in the Philip
pines is known to be financially unwise
and morally wicked.
New men and new measures are
needed. The ideals of the republic
must needs be once more lifted up to
the eyes of every beholder. Economy,
justice, righteousness-thes virtues
must rule the conduct of this nation
both at home and abroad. We need
now to make pilgrimage to Samuel
j. Tilden's grave; we need to revive the
spirit of this great patriot in the hearts
of the people. TO Americans Of today
the words spoken by Mr.. Tilden in
1876 to the Hon. James G. Carter Of
New York are especially significant.
Mr.. Carter had expressed surprise that
Mr.. Tilden had not allied himself with
the Republican party. He Tilden)
answered that while it was true that
large majority of men of wealth, cul-
ture and force We're (at that time in
the north) to be found in the Repub-
lican party, the trouble was, to use
his own language, ait is party of self
seekers"
He explained that he did not mean
this in any offensive sense; that what
he meant was that the controlling men
of that party were men of large pc
cuniary interests, seeking to build up
fortunes and families; that these per-
sonal interests were SO large as nee
essarily to engross their thoughts and
control their opinions, leading them to
use their powerful influence so as to
shape the legislation of the country in
form which would favor those inter-
ests; that 1t was difficult to lead such
men along the pathway of those fun
damental principles of democratic
government by which alone equal JUS
tice could be done to the masses of
men; that the Democratic party held
within its ranks far smaller number
of men of this description-not enough
to control Its action-and consequently
the opinions Of its great masses could
be more easily shaped and nodded by
the mere force of ideas; that this was
the distinction between the former
Democratic and Whig parties and that
the Republican party would, as the
patriotic inspirations caught from the
opposition to slavery and the defense
Of the Union died away, become the
mere successor to the spirit and policy
Of the Whig party.
There can be no doubt that this pre-
diction of Mr.. Tilden has been abun-
dantly fulfilled. The Republican party
Of today is controlled by persons whose
individual interests "engross their
thoughts and control their opinions"
1t is impossible to suppose that such
men, when intrusted with government,
will administer their Office in the inter-
est of the masses. Relief from exist
Ing ills can never come through the in.
strumentality of the Republican party
Republican leaders, those who shape
the party's policy, cannot be led
along the pathway of those fundamen-
tai democratic principles by which
alone equal justice can be done to the
masses of men,"
1t is for this reason that the name of
Tilden, the great commoner, should be
remembered at this hour by the Demo
cratic leaders. The spirit of such n
man surely has In 1t much energy for
good. He was In every sense patriot
and statesman-a representative of
that class of men who, aristocratic In
taste, but democratic in sympathy,
have, as DR.. Holmes tells us, "rocked
this Dlanet like "a prodla and kont ft