Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-11-27
TIMELY COUNSEL.

j. f.. Jones, who has been five times
elected mayor Of his home city OF
Portage, and who was candidate for
the gubernatoral nomination before
the Democratic state convention this
year, writes as follows to The Mil
waukee Journal:
''To the Editor OF The Milwaukee
Journal: In reply to your question
as to what think the party should do
TO prepare for the campaign two years
hence, | would first say quit flirting
with any old thing that promises to
vote the Democratic ticket, and be-
come party OF principle again.
after the Democratic victory OF
1892, when the country ran up against
the panic, which was unjustly charged
TO the Democrats and which was
fastened upon them, although the
panic would have come whatever the re-
suit Of the 1892 election, our party has
been dcmoralized. IT has divided in
TO factions upon minor questions and
has ut times fOrsaken nearly every
thing Democratic excepting the name.
"Many OF us have stood Loyalty by
the name, while the party has fused or
difIusGd with un-DcmOCratiC elements
upon Issues unsound and unpopular.
The signs Of the times, however, are
brighter today for Democracy than at
any time since 1892,
''Thcrc seems to be a desire among
all classes Of conservative people to
unite upon the doctrines which the
Democratic party has battlcd for
since this government WAS founded.
"Iho majority Of the people OF this
country are opposed to the cCntrGli2A-
tiOn Of power, they are opposed to
class legislation, they are opposed to
the granting Of special governmental
favors, Republican theories, but be-
fore they sever their allegiance TO the
dominant party and vote the Demo
cratic ticket, that party must Top oil
its fungus grOwths and imbcd Itself
again upon sound principles Of pOpu-
lar government, the principles which
elected Tilden in 1876 and carried
Grover Cleveland To the White House
in 1884.
"The mnstcrful speech Of cX- Senator
Villas delivered In Milwaukee just
previous to the election this year was
II great exposition Of Demo
cratic thought; that speech boiled
down to n platform would be broad
enough for any conservative voter to
stand upon.
"There IL much In Lhc present out
look to encourage Democrats to eXor-
tiOn, but to be successful there must
be organization. 1t Will not do to de-
lay the work Of that organization un-
til within ~ kow weeks before an cleo
tiOn. The work Of sowing the seed
should begin at once. II we are going
to have anything To harvest we must
put In the crop aud give 1t " chance
to grow before the season ends. There
has been nothing like united action of
the party for several years; there has
been no effective organized effort,
while the opponents OF Democracy
have n superb organization In every
district. IL IL II wonder that our par
ty pOllcd rs many votes as it did at
the last election. 1t illustrates the
loyalty Of Democrats TO their party.
The platform surely did not appeal to-
Democrats, but rather to an element
of the other party an element life
long In its opposition to Democratic
principles, but IL ls useless to discuss
the past, let Ms look to tho future, and
as " party let w either uphold the
principles Of Democracy, or disband,
and let some other organization adopt
the doctrines which will live as long
as human governments exists.
Tho journal heartily endorses the
position taken 10y MIR. Jones, and
says;
"Thc duty OF those who feel M
Mr.. Jones does IL to arrange for n
thorough discussion as to Democratic
principles. The work need not be
done by Oilice-sockors or even 10y par
ty leaders so-called; there need be no
Doodle, it Is not II matter of dollars,
There are hundreds of young
Democrats who understand the prin-
ciples OF Democracy and whose pa
triotism and interest in thoir party
would induce them To give some time
to the cause Hundreds of meetings
shouh bo held this winter. There
must be no compromises IA regards
principles. State socialism and all
forms of patcrnalism should be left
to the party to which they naturally
belong, Democracy believes in tho
individual; government supported
by the people and knowing no gov
orument that can support anybody
without rObbing somebody else Who
is TO take the lead aud get this
educational movement under way?
Men lilV MIR, Jones have the floor