The independent., 1903-07-02
TWO DEMOCRATIC PARTIES

lMU UtMUCkAllC PAhllES
Mr.. Johnson Discusses the Advisnbility of
Holding the "Brynn Remnant To-
gethsr mt all Hazards
Editor Independent: The statement
Of Mr.. Edward s. Grece in his letter
in The Independent of June 4. that
two democratic parties will not do"
suggests the question, Why will not
two democratic parties do? And in
considering this it seems to me that
should the reorganizers capture the
present democratic organization, the
very proper thing for the friends of
the the Kansas City platform to do would
be to form, if possible, another dem
ocratic party Immediately.
do not mean to be understood as
opposing the organization of the pop
ulist party. Let that work go on;
that is proper, too. But our principles
are in the hands Of a much larger
party now than the populist party can
hope to be. They are in the hands of
6,500000 democratic voters, more than
rine-tenths of whom, | believe, are in
hearty sympathy with them. There
is a fight on in the party on these
principles. They are opposed by the
less than one-tenth, either to wipe
them out from their party platform
entirely or to nullify them by mis-
cradle compromise.
In the event of their success, II the
other wing Of the party can form at
once another democratic party under
the leadership Of w. j. Bryan, Tom
l.. Johnson (not necessarily as candi-
dates and other strong men of their
kind, of whom there are many, the
democracy and that would be good
enough, for populists who can then
rush in on election day to swell, their
number.
Populists can break party ties more
easily than can democrats and there is
SO much smaller number of them to
overcome this difficulty. The reor-
ganizers would find themselves with
another Palmer and Buckner number.
A split in the republican party Is
among the probabilities, some think.
s II
candidate for nomination by his
party; that Is certain. IL what COM
E,endable things he is doing are done
from principle or il he is doing them
merely to promote his own selfish am
bition without license from the money
power, he will incur it's displeasnre
and lose it's support, and split will
result But If he is doing them only
Under the pressure of popular demand
with wink to the money power and
for the purpose of throwing out bait
to keep republicans around his hooks
till election, there will be no split
This latter view r ore inclined to
accept.
We have had straddle platforms; a
straddle administration is not impos-
sibie, and / thinl that is what we are
getting now.
In either case. whether the repub-
lican party is divided or not. the new
democratic party with the burden of
the reorganizers thrown off and with
the help of the populists, which it then
would be entitled tc, would most sure
ly win. Should the republican party
split and the reorganizers of the dem
ocratic party win in shaping platform
and in naming their ticket, the money
power will undoubtedly go to their
support.
Therefore, I would say, let the
friends of the Kansas City platform
fight in primaries and in conventions
for those principles. unsullied by COM
promise either by updemorratic doc
larations or unfriendly ticket. and if
defeated let them form a new demo-
cratic party. And let the populists Or
sanize not with partisan spirit and
purpose for themselves, but to aid it..
F. o. JOHNSON.
Marion, Ia.