Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-11-13
DOSTER FOR CLEVELAND.

DOSIEK TUX VLEVELAND.
ExChief Justice Frank Doster has created
no little surprise by declaring that he would
support Grover Cleveland fol president next
year, as against Roosevelt. This sounds rather
queer at first, but when you read Judge Dos.
ter's reasons for supporting Cleveland, it isn't
so queer, after all. But we cannot altogether
agree with him.
Judge Doster says the Republican party, re-
duced to its 6nality, is nothing bu. fire.
cracker and brass band. He says the supreme
duty of the American people is to rid themselves
of it, so they may return to sober judgment
and the ways of political righteousness. Says
Judge Doster
"There are only two parties now-Repub
lican and Democratic. The Populist party is
a thing of the past. So, also, is the Bryan
wing of the Democratic party. There is no
difference in financial or economic policy be-
tween the Republicans and the eastern or COM
inant faction of the Democrats except slight
difference in tariff schedules. Both of them
reject the quantatiye or per capita theory of
money circulation proposed by the Populsts,
demonstration in the prosperity of the country.
Both of them are insincere in their denuncia.
ton of trusts and monopofies-the Republicans
more so-and both of them shut their eyes to
the fact that trusts evidence an economic tend
ency towards the specialization of the public
service industries, and, therefore, cannot be
suppressed or controlled. Both of them hate
the labor union organizations, while pretend
ing friendiness of feeling.
'On the race question, the Democrats are
the more honest and consistent. They have
never pretended friendship for the Negro. The
his vote. The only admission of Negro equal
ity they make is on election day. The balance
OF the year, they lynch him, ostracize him,
as mental, exclude him from white churches
and white schools and white recognition, Just
as the South does. No Republican politician
has yet tried to impress on the Negro lessons of
morality, industry or good citizenship, or
laid before him the fact that he stands in any
relation to society except mere voting relations.
s'There remains therefore, but one thing else
on which preference between the two parties
can be drawn, and that is the policy OF terrific
rial conquest and colonial government, with its
incidents of big army and navy, and Casarisn,
buccaneering and hell generally, for which the
Republicans stand, and which Cleveland and
the Democrats oppose. l have positive con-
victons that that policy is wrong"
Judge Doster, in our opinion, is wrong in
offering any encouragement 10 the Cleveland
Democrats, for they are only Republicans in
disguise. They proved it in The last two pres
identia elections If Cleveland should be NOM
mated and elected next year and we haven't
doubt that he will beg, it will be done by and
with the aid of Republicans. Capitalistic Re-
publcans, as we'll as Democrats, consider Cleve-
land a "safe" man. He has been tried by
them, and not found wanting in any of the
qualifications which they think a president
should possess, and he will get their support
again, as he did before.
We have no use for either Roosevelt or Cleve
land, but we prefer Republican who goes by
that name to one who pretends to be Demo-
crat But that does not mean that we would
support either one. There will be Socialist
ticket in the field next year.