The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-30
FRIDAY, MAY so, 1909.
a poLrrrcAL NoNENTITY.

The certain and inevitable decadence
which will be the fate Of any political
party which fails to adhere TO principle
was never more strikingly exemplihed
than in the case of the so-called Democ-
racy of Kansas. There was once DEM
ocratic Party there which contended for
the principles of the Party. and which
was deserving of success IL IL did not
succeed. but when 1t got to absorbing
and being absorbed by, every political be-
lief or theory that found an existence In
that land of freaks, ii neither succeeded
nor deserved success. By surrendering
its principles and fusing with Populism.
they polIcd 17I,000 votes for Bryan in
1895. In 1900, when the Populists voted
for Barker for President, Mr. Bryan only
received about 10000 votes. though it had
given Mr. Cleveland over 100000 in 1885.
The Party in Kansas has been the tool
or the coadjutor of the Populist Party
ever since that Party came into exist
ence. 1t HAS divided candidates. princi-
pies and votes with cheerful indifference,
the only objective point being to get the
offces II has not had well-defned pol
icy of its own in a dozen years. and has
been in no condition to either achieve or
deserve success. If there have been any
real Democrats in the State, they have
been utterly powerless. and have been
forced TO stifie their principles and drift !
with the crowd, or sulk in their tents
and wait for returning reason.
There was recently held convention In
Wichita of those who called themselves
Democrats They adopted platform with
as much Popuism as anything else in 1t,
nominated half or less than half a State
ticket. and left the other places to be
Allied by another political aggregation.
Then they clinched their political idiocy
by pledging the Democrats of Kansas in
advance to support the candidates which
are in future 10 be placed on the ticket
by that other organization.
Was there ever a more notable exam
pie of total surrender of Party principle
than this? 1t would have been bad
enough, one would think. if the Democrats
had met in joint convention with the
Populists and silver Republicans, adopted.
an unmeaning platform and put out
joint ticket. That would have been such
an example of political assininity as is not
unusual in that State but they have done
much worse. 1t matters not what kind
Of men are nominated by the Populists.
what Is their character qualifications.
or what political belief they profess to
represent; the Democrats are pledged in
advance to support them
There Is not Democrat in Kansas to-
day who knows who are to be voted for
on the State ticket this year. or how the
oficial ballots will be headed. or what
policy the ticket represents. If it should
be elected no one knows whether it will
be Democratic or a Populist adminis-
tration, and no one knows what policy
would gfvern the administration when it
comes into power. THE whole thing is a
disgraeeful surrender of principle, and
~ the Republicans are at all united. there
will be little use, Of the. others going to
the polls. In fact. we note that Mr. Breid-
enthaI. late fusion candidate for Gov
ernor. predicts that the Republicans wilr
carry the State at the coming election
by not less than 1900 and he is prob
ably correct. The real Democrats, if
there are any left, have nothing to hope
for or to gain by voting, and many of
them viii doubtless refuse to countenance
the proceedings. Who shall blame them?
sIf President Roosevelt hangs the hide
Of the l1eef trust on his back fence. Il