The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-25
WHAT DEMOCRACY
MUST DO TO BE SAVED
concluded from Page III


tariff question. the Republican party has
not In recent years honestly submitted q
single important issue to the abitrament
| of the ballot or even to the iugment OF
the members of Its own party. 1t has
written ambiguous platforms and forced
It's policies through congress after elec-
tion.
In 1896 IL used promise Of internation-
| al bimetallism to conceal its real purpose
to fasten the gold standard on the coun-
try. In 1900 1t practiced the same de-
| ception OH Imperialism and on the trust
question Even within a month It has
refused to announce Its purpose In re-
gard to the Philippines, and has put or
until after November the passage of the
subsidy bill and the consideration OF the
trust question. The leaders of the party
show their lack of vital faith in the doc
trine of government by their unwil-
lingness to take the people or the coun-
try, or even the voters OF their own par
ty, into their confidence. The hope OF
the Democratic party lies in bringing this
fact to the knowledge of those who have
been in the habit of voting the Repub-
lcan ticket. One aristocratic party in
the country Is enough. Democratic Sue
cess must be won, not by initiating the
Republican party, but by exposing it
not by making the Democratic party ar
istocratic. but by convincing the people
that 1t Is really democratic and can be
trusted to defend democratic ideas and
to cultivate democratic ideals.
AS there are many in the Republican
party who have adhered to the party not
withstanding the change that the organ
ization 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. 10 attempt to patch up
an apparent harmony between those who
are not in sympathy with democratic
purposes is not only 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 un-
derstand the real nature of the contest.
Until the former are completely changed
in their sympathies they cannot return
to the party without iniuring it. The
latter will be reconciled to the party
when they themselves become aware of
the real character of the life and death
struggle now being waged between plu-
tocracy and democracy.
A Plea for Character.
The Democratic party must have con-
trolling purpose, unchanged by victory or
defeat: it must stand for that purpose
at all times and everywhere. unmoved
by'threats and disaster and ,lnintluenced
by promise of temporary gain. 1t must
have a character, for character is as
essential in party as 1t is in an indv-
idual. Even If it desires to do so our
party could>not compete with the Repub-
'lican party in the use of money in cam
paigns or in the deception or coercion
of voters, because large campaign funds
can only be secured in return for the
promise Of favoritism and our people are
not in position to coerce. Our party
must have principles and proclaim them:
it must stand by them and defend them,
relying upon its faith in the righteous
ness of those principles and upon its
faith in the intelligence and patriotism
of the people. We cannot tell what is
sues we may have to meet; we can only |
determine to meet them in democratic |
spirit. to apply TO them democratic prin-
ciples and to take the peoples side al |
ways.
In 1899 the paramount issue was tariff
reform and the Democratic party boldly |
asserted its demand for a tariff for reve-
me only. 1t fought the campaign and it
won. but it's majority was SO narrow that
few senator's. disloyal to the party On
this subject defeated the verdict of the
people rendered at the polls. But the
failure of the party to do all that it
promised would not nave 'Deen so dis
astrous but for the fact that the Wilson
bill. unsatisfactory as it was to tariff
reformers. had to bear the sins of RE
publican financial system which was sup
ported by our administration against the
protest of an overwhelming ma jority of
the voters of the party. The defeat Of
1894 was more disastrous than any that |
the party has experienced since and it |
was due to the fact that the administra-
tion deserted the people on the money
question. In 1896 the money question had |
forged to the front, made paramount not |
by the action of the majority of the Dem
ocratic party, but by the attempt of a |
minority of the party to aid the Republic |
can party to chain the country to an ap- |
preciating dollar. Without abandoning |
its position on the tariff question the |
party met this issue and took the side of |
the people. In spite of the desertion of |
many formerly conspicuous in its coun- |
ellis the Democratic party polled a |
million more votes than it had ever |
polled before, and would have won but |
for the indefensible methods of the Re-
publican party, whose leaders held near
ly all the protectionist Republicans by |
declaring the tariff issue to be para
mount, Modified the wrath of most of
the free silver Republicans by promising
bimetallsm. and won all
the advocates of the gold standard by re-
vealing to them the secret purpose of the
party to adopt European financial sys-
tenn. But even then we could have Won
but for the fact that borrowers were
coerced and employees intimidatcd.
Paramounting a New Issue.