Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-07-15
DEMOCRATIC DUTY.
New Orleans, Picayune, dem.)

lSSW oTleduS, flCdyune, Qem.)
The effort to harmonic the demo.
cratic party must meet with the hear
ty approval of everyone who recog.
nizes the Importance of securing an
effective organized opposition to the
dangerous policies and tendencies of
the party now in power - 1t
will be vain to expect relief through
the success of the democratic party
unless 1t be thoroughly harmonized
Fortunately, there is no obstacle of
personal nature to be overcome be.
fore the party's lately discordant fac.
lions can be brought together-none,
at all events, which can weigh with
men who feel the paramount import
ance of the wider interests at stake.
NO mans ambition, no mans pique
Or prejudice, should be allowed to
stand in the way of victory upon
which so much depends; but, on the
contrary, the return of every disaffect.
ed democrat and the accession of ey-
cry new recruit should be hailed with
pleasure. 1t is true that the party
was but recently divided by ques.
ton which was discussed with heat
on every stump and in the columns
OF almost every secular journal in the
land; but that question has no present
application to the needs and aspira.
tons of the American people. Certain.
ly there is nothing in the present con.
dition of affairs to create demand
for an unlimited coinage of silver at
any ratio whatever. If the readop.
ton of the silver plank in the plat.
form of 1896 was mistake in 1900, it
would be suicidal to reindorse now.
The country is not suffering from a
scarcity of money-the danger lies
elsewhere.
From purely political, or strictly
party point of view, the folly of anoth-
er attempt to carry the country for
free silver would be equally evident.
The country has already twice reject.
ed, by overwhelming majorities, the
silver plank in the Chicago platform.
There is no longer any general inter
est in that question, and no inconsist-
ency is involved in its omission from
any declaration of democratic princi-
pies. If the democratic party is ever
to win another national victory 1t
must make platform which will deal
exclusively with living issues, and
which will not inevitably exclude any
considerable part of any of it's normal
strength from its active membership.
And, above all, it would be preposter.
Gus to undertake to read any man
out of the party because he would not
support, In 1886 or in 1900, a demand
which it would be fatal to reassert to-
day. Moreover, the policy of the par.
ty should not be shaped to meet the
requirements of any particular leader
If there is any man in the party SO
welded to his own views that he can.
not stand upon any platform that has
chance to win, he must un.
derstand that he cannot be
permitted either to lead or to
name leader for the democracy. 1t
is unfortunately true, however, that
the mere abandonment of an outworn
and impracticable issue would not
necessarily result in the immediate
restoration of unity and harmony to
the democratic party If the bitter.
ness of the past, survives the differ.
ences which engendered it, the party
will lack one of the essential elements
of unanimity and organic vitality. Let
every democrat remember that it
should be his effort now to secure the
defeat of the republican party, not the
Of this, that or the other
democrat who may have been antag.
onistic to his personal aspirations, or
opposed to his political opinions IN
times gone by.
There Is, outside Of the democratic,
and republican parties, body of in.
dependent voters which has held. so
to speak, the balance of power in
more than one campaign within the
last twelve or fifteen years. That ele.
ment will not give Its support to any
party whose usefulness is impaired
and whose unity is constantly men
aced by the yirulent dissensions of its
leaders. or by factional spirit in its
rank and file.