The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-25

ments and amenable to reason; being hon
est in purpose, they have confidence in
the triumph of their cause, and are con-
tent to employ honest methods. They
will neither conspire against others nor
against each other If they make mistakes
In judgment, as all are liable to do they
are not only willing, but anxious to cor
rect their mistakes. In politics, as in
religion, there is an essential difference
between doubt of the head and a doubt
Of the heart.
Difficult to Change Sympathies.
'It is impossible to secure harmony
between people of opposite sympathies,
and it is q difficult thing to change a
mans sympath.es; it requires a political
regeneration to make a democrat out
of an aristocrat 1t is a much easier task
to show man that the principles he has
been advocating and the policies which
no has been supporting are aristocratic
in their present effect or IN their ten
dencies. The republican party today is
aristocratic in its policies and tendencies
for 1t is controlled by few in the inter-
est of few, but there are many repub-
licans who remain with their party only
because they do not understand the
change which has taken place in that
party within the last few years. When
the policy of party is controlled by its
voters, then the party stands for the will
of the majority but when the party is
dominated by small minority then the
organization stands not for the will of the
majority, but Tor the will Of those who
dominate it. There can be no doubt of the
democratic instincts OF a large majority
Of the members OF the republican party
but that party today is so controlled by
organized wealth that the rank and file
of the party are not consulted about the
policies, r,or are the interests of the rank
and file consider ed by the leaders. With
the exception of the tariff question the
republican party has not in recent years
honestly submitted a single important is
sue to the arbitrament of the ballot, or
even to the judgment of the members of
its own party.
1T has written ambiguous platforms
and forced its policies through congress
after elections. In 1896 it used a promise
OF international bimetallism to conceal
its real purpose to fasten the gold stan
dard on the country. In 1900 it practiced
the same deception on Imperialism and
on the trust question. Even within a
month 1t hassrefused to announce Its pur-
pose in regard to the Philippines and
has put off until after November the pas
sage of the subsidy bill and the considera-
tion of the trust question.
US STdUCc TOF ViCIOFY.
THE leaders of the party show their
lack of vital faith in the doctrine of self
government by their willingness to take
the people of the country, or even the
voters of their own party, into their con-
fidence The hope of the democratic party
lies in bringing this fact to the knowl-
edge of those who have been in the habit
of voting the republican ticket One
arstocratic party in the country is
enough. Democratic success must be won
not by initiating the republican party,
but by exposing it-not by making the
democratic party aristocratic, but by con-
vincing the people that it is really dem
ocratic and can be trusted to defend dem
ocratic ideas and to cultivate democratic
ideals. As there are many in the repub-
lican party who have adhered to the
party notwithstanding the change that
the organization has undergone, so, there
are some who call themselves democrats
who have themselves undergone a change
which has alienated them from the dem
ocratic party, or from any party worthy
of the name.
Must Stick Together.
'To 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 understand
the real nature of the contest. Until the
former are completely changed In their
sympathies they cannot return to the
party without injuring It, The latter will
be reconciled to the party when they