The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-03
A Democratic Crisis.

Richmond (Va.) Times.
 If there ever was time when thi: country needed true and genuine Democratic revival 1t is now. If there ever was time when the true Demo crats of this country needed to get to. gether and declare their principles anc fight for them, it Is now. If there evel was time when the Democratic party had an opportunity to do its country great and necessary service II IS now.
 The country Is full of political heresy and political heretics. The President oi the United States has procl limed far and wide that the individual States of the Union should surrender to the Federa Government their right to govern cor porations and commit that power solely to the National Congress. The Speaker ol the P.Ouse of Representatives declares that the government should protect the giant corporations of the country rom competition with foreign 2orporatins, fno because he detected a disposition tn the part of some of his constituents to take away from some of the corporations the benefit of tariff which they enjoy. he declines to stand for reelection. He agrees with the President that congress alone should have the right to .ontro corporations, but he goes farthsr thar that and declares that Congress should coddle these corporations and save then from competition with foreigners T here are others who go a step farther Sslli arc say that the Federal Government should take nOl0 or the coal mines ditl Ht o'i. roads and the steamship lines, and ol all sorts of trusts. and not only c"ntroI them, but actually operate them. And so they proceed step by step towards complete communism. There IS more communistic talk in this country today than ever before within our recollection and If we may judge by this talk, the spirit of communism Is rampant.
 There is but one remedy for this, there is but one preventive of communism, and that is Democracy. Democracy is the antipode of communism. Communism means government control of everything Democracy means as little og government interference as possible with the personal liberty of men and with business trans1c- tions between man and man. Democracy recognizes the necessity for organic law for statutory law. Democracy believes in government, in obedience to law. Bu, Democracy believes that there are vel defined functions of government and that they are limited. Democracy believes ir enough government to secure to every hold property, his right to pursue hap piness, and his right generally to enjoy the blessings of God. It believes that the government should guarantee these strong from trespassing upon the rights of the weak. But Democracy demands of the government that thus far 1t shall neither aid nor hinder any man In his daily pursuits so long as ne commits Eu trespass. It despises anything appfodch- ing government paternalism. In short, Democracy believes that the best gov erned people are the least governed people
 It is upon this great principle that our republic was founded, and 1t has lasted for years and has succeeded where other republics have failed, because there has been an adherence more or less to that principle The republic has always been strongest when standing nearest this principle, and has been weakest when it has departed farthest therefrom. Cur republic has been successful because ouI people have learned the great lesson Of self-government. It has been successful because each and every community has been. permitted to take care of its own affairs and to make local laws to suit local conditions, leaving individuals and localities as free as possible from the domination of the centralized power. Sc long as that condition exists the republic will continue to live and prosper md our institutions will be safe, but whenever we depart from these principles and these traditions we go upon dangerous ground and if ever we depart entirely from them the republic will be doomed
 Oh that the Democrats of the country would consider! on that they would set the danger of communism and every species of communism. from whatever source it now threatens! Oh that they would rally once again around the stand ard of Democracy and declare the faith which was given by the saints.