Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1902-08-06

snow a man that the principles he has
been advocating and the policies which he
has been supporting aristocratic in
their present effect or in their tendencies.
The republican party of to-day is aristo-
cratic in its policies and tendencies, for 1t
is controlled by a few in the interest of
few, but there are many republicans who
remain with their party only because they
do not understand the change which has
taken place in that party within the last
few years. When the policy of party is
controlled by its voters, then the party
stands for the will of the majority, but
when the party is dominated by small
minority then the organization stands not
for the will of the majority, but for the
will of those who dominate 1t. There can
be no doubt of the democratic instincts
of large majority of the members of the
republican party, but that party to-day is
so controlled by organized wealth that the
rank and file Of the party are not consulted
about the policies nor are the interests
of the rank and file considered by the
leaders. With the exception of the tariff
question, the republican party has not IN
recent years honestly submitted a single
important issue to the arbitrament OF the
ballot, or even to the judgment of the
members of its own party. 1t has written
ambiguous platforms and forced its pol
icies through congress after elections. In
1896 it used a promise of international BIZ
metalliSm TO conceal its real purpose to
fasten the gold standard on the country.
In 1900 it practiced the same deception on
imperialism and on the trust question.
Even within a month it has refused to
announce it's purpose in regard to the
Philippines, and has put off until after
November the passage of the subsidy bill
and the consideration of the trust ques-
ton. The leaders of the party show their
lack of vital faith in the doctrine of self
government by their unwillingness to take
the people of the country, or even the
voters of their own party, into their con-
fdence. The hope of the democratic party
lies in bringing this fact to the knowledge
of those who have been in the habit Of vot
ing the republican ticket. One aristocratic
party in the country is enough. Demo
cratic success must be won, not by imitat-
Ing the republican party, but by. exposing
1t-not by making the democratic party
aristocratic, but by convincing the people
that it 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 ad
hered to the party Notwithstanding the
change that the organization has under
|. gone. SO there are some who call them
selves democrats who have themselves I'M
dergone change which has alienated them
from the democratic party, or from any
party worthy of the name.
Deserters of Two Classes.
ITO attempt to patch up an apparent har-
mony between those who are not in SYM
pathy with democratic purposes Is rot
only waste of time, but would prove dis
astrous. 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 be-
cause they did not understand the real
nature of the contest Until the former
are completely changed in their sympa-
th1es they cannot return to the party with
out injuring it. The latter will be recon-
cfled to the party when they themselves
n hQ oh onfo ~Oft lo
life and death struggle now being waged
between plutocracy and democracy. l say
plutocracy, because the aristocracy of to-
day is one of wealth rather than of BIRTH
ano 1t includes not only those who have
been aiienated from the common people by
the possession of great wealth. but those
VINO, although without wealth, pan6er to
II ano measure all things by a money STAN
dard Organized wealth has become so
potent in governmental affairs that some
even now despair Of applying any effective
remedy. But such underestimate the pa
triotism of the people and the strength of
the public conscience. The people have a
remedy within their power, namely the
ballot, and with it they can and will right
every wrong and remedy every grievance
Party Must Stand Firm.
The democratic party must have a con-
trolling purpose, unchanged by victory or
oefeat; 1t must stand for that purpose at
all times and everywhere, unmoved by
threats of disaster and uninf1uenced by
promise Of temporary gain. 1t must have
a character. for character is as essential
In party as 1t is in an individual. No one
Will trust an unstable man or one SO with
out principle that his position upon any
moral question cannot be guessed in ad-
vance. Neither will the people trust a
party that is willing to write into its plat
| form to-day anything that promises to
! catch few votes strike out of its plat
form tomorrow anything that will alien
| ate a few votes. Even if it desired to do
| So our party could not compete with the
republican party in the use of money in
| campaigns or in the deception or coercion
OF voters, because large campaign funds
can only be secured in return for the prom
Use or faVorltlsm, and our people are not
In position to coerce Our party must
| nave principles and proclaim them; it must
! stand by them and defend them RELYING
| upon Its faith in the Righteousness of those
principles and upon its faith in the intelIi-
gerce and patriotism of the people
An Unending Struggle
The struggle between human rights on
the ore SIDE and greed on the other is an
unerdlng one. Our party must take part
| IN the struggle, but that struggle cam of
De permanently settled by this generation
| or by any future one. AS the children of
israel, wandering in the wilderness could
not store bread for the morrow but were
| compelled to gather mama each 6ay so
| the citizen finds it impossible to rest upon
| the achievements of yesterday. or to frame
| government that will run itself He
/ must laDor to-day, tomorrow and while
! life lasts If he would be secure He must
! meet each new problem and examine each
| new proposition that is submitted to the
| people, but in doing SO he will employ the