The Taney County republican., 1902-03-13
DEMOCRACY AT FAULT.
so.CaIied Leaders Of the Party ne
Not Read the Right Dope On the
Philippine Question.

The Nashville American, one of the
prominent democratic newspapers OF
the country. has no dclusions ns to
the Philippine question. Abiding to
the situation ms developed ut WASH
ington. where certain democratic
senator's aud Representatives have ns.
sumcd an attitude Of hostility TO the
Administrations policy In the islands,
the American remarks: III the ques'
tion OF surrcndcring the Philippines
Is not made the leading or leading
issue in the next national campaign.
II will not be the fault Of some OF
the senators of the democratic mi
nority. II seems to be the misfor-
tune of the democratic party that II
has fallen into n condition In which
IL Is possible for those to assume to
be leaders, and to be so recognized.
who. in better and braycr days OF
the party would have been among
the last to be selected as material
for leadership" And then II adds:
"If such leadership. II II IS leadership. Is
| to continue and Is to be followed, the party
will be finally forced 10 put M us shutters
and 20 out OF business. or else continue ns
the sad remnant and enfocbled ghost OF a
| once great and powerful party. The mis-
takes and blunders OF the last two cam
paigns seem to have taught nothing 10
some Of those who aspire TO be leaders or
who assume 10 speak for the party. Is II
because they are incapable of learr'ng7 Or
u hoo T.afa n r
sue a cheap and easy course which re.
qures neither ability nor courage and
which has brought them into some noto-
rioty, as the wave OF popullsm brought oh.
scurc men temporarily TO the front? These
seem to he able 10 view with some degree
OF cOmplactncy Continued national defeat
so long as they are permitted TO parade as
party leaders and patriots during the cam.
paigns, and 10 occupy the few best Offices
which the comparatively few democratic
states ana Districts stllI have at their dis
posa'-such as governor, senator and con-
gresham. But while this situation may
be largely satisfactory TO them II is rather
rough on the party ns whole.
III any democratic leader. so-cnlied,
thinks that the American voters VIII rally
TO the standard of any party on the propo.
s.tion to surrender the Philippine islands.
which are as much the property Of the
Irited states n the DlStrlct OF columbia,
he Is inoXcUsnbly Ignorant Of the temper
and spirit OF the American people. The
noisy few who are clamOrlrg for policy
of surrender NAV deceive few indivdunl'.
but II any party allows itself 10 he Do
cclved and mlEled rs TO their numbers by
their noise II Will no, fall 10 NEE; with
rude awakening"
That is talk straight from the
shoulder. SAYS the Troy Times. and
II reflects the opinion OF great many
earnest and honest democratic news.
papers. II would seem. from the
course most of the democrats In
congress- are pursuing that the only
periodical they read Is the Com.
moncr. published nj Lincoln. Ncb. II
would pay them to glance now and
then over other Of their party pa.
pcrs, or II they haven't time for that.
get in connection with widcawnkc
clipping bureau. The democratic
statesman who thinks he Is making
himself popular by proposing cow.
ardly abandonment ~ the Philip
pines doesn't interpret Alright the
signs Of the times or understand the
temper of the American people.