Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-02-19
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1908
A TICKLE PEOPLE.

succeeding national election and is as
faithless to men as it is to measures.
This fckleness or instability of political
character is too apparent to be denied,
aud those who practice it become so in
different that they do not suffer any con-
fusion when confronted with the record.
The motive for this lack of stability of
the Southern Democracy is it's unimi ed
greed fol place and power. Principle is
discarded and policy is the impelling
motive. Great solicitude is being ex-
pressed by the organs and party leaders
at the South for harmonizlng all discor-
dant elements, but we fail to see any ex-
preston of desire for such harmony that
great principle may be agreed upon TO
contend for and made victorious. The
supreme desire seems to be restoration
of the Democracy to power, without any
higher purpose than division of the
spoils.
On all leading national questions we find
the Democrats of the South as much
divided now as they were in 1896 or 1900.
This is true of the money and expansion
questions, that were, respectively, declared
by the Democracy paramount issues in the
last two Presidential campaigns. A con-
troverSy is now going on in Virginia as to
what is to be in the future test of true
Democracy. The Richmond News Leader
recently commenting on declaration OF
the valley Virginian" that the Demo
cratic party needs badly Democratic news
paper at Richmond, says of the meaning
of the declaration: sis it that none but
such as swallowed Bryan and free silver in
1896 and 1900 and now stand with minds
vacant, really to receive anything the
democratic party may offer in 1904, aud
mouths open ready to shout for it, may
be cassed as loyal and straightout?" This
standing with minds vacant and mouths
open ready to shout for anything the ma
tional Democracy may present in the way
Platform and candidate has heretofore
been the test for loyalty Of the Virginia
Democrats. 1t was so when Cleveland
was the candidate on a sound money plat
form, and it was so when Bryan was the
candidate on free silver platform. Right
here we have complete illustration of the
infielity of the Virginia Democracy to
both measures aud men. With very few
exceptions the Democrats of this State
both in 1876 and 1900 denounced Grover
Cleveland as a traitor to Democracy and
as an exp nent Of Republican principles.
Bryan was then their ideal Democrat, and
the ultra doctrines of the Chicago platform
were accepted by the loyslists as the true
essence of Jeffersonian Democracy.
If you had then told the Virginia Demo
crat who swallowed Bryan and free sill
yer" that he was taking a bitter dose of
physic, he would have Indignantly deniei
the charge and pronounced the nostrum a.
delicious as his favorte mint julep The
Richmond Times in 1896 and The Times
and The Richmond News in 1900 were
scorned by the great body of the Virginia
Democracy because of their refusal to
support Bryan and to stand for the Chicago
platform.
Behold the great change that is now.
taking place in the views Of the Virginia
Democracy. The Times. Dispatch ami
The News Leader are now the metropOli-
tan opponents of the Democracy. They
modestly decline to be named as organs
OF the party, but are busily engaged in
convincing the masses and the leaders
that these newspapers have what the
News Leader terms profound confidence
in the doctrines of the Democratic party"
What doctrines? Those of Clevelandism
or those of Organism?
The Tines Dispatch in its anxiety to
harmonic says: call must be willing to i
concede something, and We must get to- l
gether OH solid, substantial, oldfashioned
Jeffersonian Democratic platform if We
would retrieve our losses, re-establish the
party and throttle those forces which are
at work to destroy our most sacred institu.
tons of government" This pathetic ap- {
peal of our Richmond contemporary was |
provoked by the extremely divergent {
views expressed by such men as General )
Basil Duke, of Kentucky; and Major 4
Robert w. Hunter, General Fitzhugh Lee
and Congressman William A. Jones, of >
Virginia, in speeches made on the night of
the 9th inst. at banquet given in the city
of Washington by the former students Of 7
The University of Virginia in homer of its b
founder, Thomas Jefferson. These divergent d
views of the speakers led the Times Dis u
patch to exclaim, sit is manifest that the !"
Democrats will not win unless there is a.
-. lo.,oon,, 10 tho narfv pavf war han