The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-25

cess must be won, not Dy Initiating the
Republican party, but by exposing it
not by making the Democratic party
aristocratic. but by convincing the people
that it is really Democratic and can be
trusted to defend Democratic ideas and
to cultivate Democratic ideals. AS there
are many in the Republican party VINO
have adhered to the party notWltnstand-
ing the change that the organization mas
undergone, so. there are some who call
themselves Democrats who have them
selves undergone a change which mas
alienated them from the Democratic
party, or from any party worthy OF the
name.
ITO attempt to patch up an apparent
harmony between those who are not in
sympathy with Democratic purposes is
not only a waste of time but would
prove disastrous. The men who deserted
the party in 1896 may be divided into two
classes. Those who left because they
understood the issue presented and those
who left because they did not under
stand the real nature of the contest.
Until the former are completely changed
in their sympathies they cannot return
to the party without injuring 1T. The
latter will be reconciled to the party
when they themselves become aware OF
the real character of the life and death
struggle now being waged between
plut ocracy, because the aristocracy OF
today is one of wealth rather than OF
birth and it includes not only those who
have been alienated from the common
people by the possession of great wealth,
but those who, although without wealth,
pander to it and measure all things by
money standard. Organized wealth has
become so potent in governmental affairs
that some even now despair of applying
any effective remedy. But such under
estimate the patriotism of the people and
the strength of the public conscience.
The people have a remedy within their
power, namely the ballot, and with 1T
they can and will right every wrong and
remedy every grievance.
STAND FIRM FOR PRINCIPLE.
The Democratic party must have con-
trolling purpose, unchanged by victory
or defeat; it must stand for that pur-
pose at all times and everywhere, un-
moved by threats of disaster and unin-
iuenced by promise of temporary gain.
1t must have a character, for character
is as essential in a party as it is in an
individual. No one will trust an unstable
man or one so without principle that his
position upon any moral question can
not be guessed in advance. Neither will
the people trust party that is willing
to write into its platform today any
thing that promises to catch a few votes
or strike out of its platform tomorrow
anything that will ahenate a few votes.
Even if it desired to do so our party
could not compete with the Republican
rarty in the use of money in campaigns
or in the deception or coercion of voters,
because large campaign funds can only
be secured in return for the promise OF
favoritism, and our people arc not in
POSITION to coerce. Our party must have
principles and proclaim them; 1t must
stand by them and defend them, relying
upon it's faith in the righteousness, of
those principles and upon its faith IN
the intelligence and patriotism of the
people.
''The struggle between human rights
on the one side and greed on the other
is an unending one. Our party must take
part in the struggle, but that struggle
cannot be permanently settled by this
the children of Israel, wandering in the
wilderness. could not store bread for
the morrow but were compelled to gather
mama each day. so the citizen finds it
impossible to rest upon the achievements
of yesterday or to frame a government
that will run itself. He must labor to-
day, tomorrow and while life lasts if he
would be secure. He must meet each
new problem and examine each new
proposition that is submitted to the
people, but in doing so he will employ
the same purposes and apply the same
general rules. He cannot tell what
temptations he may have or of What
immediate gain he may have the promise
if he will but surrender his manhood
but he knows, if he is an upright man,
that he will endeavor to resist every
temptation, and he will determine to
forego every advantage that requires a
surrender of his manhood
APPLY DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES.
$50 with our party. We cannot tell
what issues we may have to meet; we
can only determine to meet them in a
Democratic spirit, to apply to them
Democratic principles and to take the
peoples side always. In 1892 the para
mount issue was tariff reform and the
Democratic party boldly asserted its de-
mand for a tariff for revenue only. It
fought the campaign and it won, but it's
majority was so narrow that a few Sena-
tors, disloyal to the party on this sub
ject, defeated the verdict of the people
rendered at the polls But the failure of
the party to do all that it promised
would not have been so disastrous but
for the fact that the Wilson BILL un-
satisfactory as it was to tariff reform
ers, had to bear the Sins of a Republi-
can financial system which was support
ted by our administration against the
protest of an overwhelming majority of
the voters of the party. The defeat of
1894 was more disastrous than any that
the party has experienced since, and it
was due to the fact that the admfnis-
tration deserted the people on the money
question In 1896 the money question
had forged to the front, made paramount
not by the action of the majority of the
Democratic party, but by the attempt
of a minority of the party to aid the
Republican party to chain the country to
an appreciating dollar. Without aban-
doning its position on the tariff question
ftan arfK af H. t.