The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-01-31

IS, 1909.
The Democratic party is os,ensbly the
agency through which the interests of the
people safeguarde!. 1t is the popula,
organ of Democracy; it is the representation
of the unprivileged. as opposed to the pri
vileged, in governmental policies.
u, The various forms of privilege GROUP
which bears with heIyier weight upon some
specific class or group of people; and this
gives rise to various theories Of defense.
The victims of tariffs and the victims of
railroad Determinations. classes, each
have separate remedy 10 propose. The
victims of municipal franchise have still an
other. Those who suffer from the abuses
imposed a result of competition in the
labor world, Offer still another. Each of
these classes, sincerely, honestly believes
that if only its peculiar grievance re-
moved, life and labor would again become
n smiling summer holiday for the whole
world.
All of these classes look to the Demo-
cratic party for relief; and each class de-
mands that whatever may be done for
others, it shall by no means be neglected.
This has made the Democratic party ag
glomeration of discordant factions each
striving tor special object, and Indifferent
to the consequences TO all o; hers
Added to these classes is still another
class which makes use of all the rest-a
class the opponents of which speak ora
cularly of the fundamental principles of
Democracy, without venturing to state in
explicit or concrete form what these mys-
FERROUS principles are, or what they could
produce results, if established.
This latter class is virtually the ''unsufruct'
element of the Democratic party, and is, in
fact, more REMEMBRANCE than help to its
councils or field operations.
The great party opposed to this party of
the people, is that great ASSOCIATION OF the
cohorts of prvlesc-the called Rcpubli-
can party; party composed OF vast NUN
Der OF lesser parties, each dominated by the
fetish Of its own special interest, anu
operating with all the other advocates of
special interest, because Of the identity of
purpose anima,inS each.
Every beneficiary of special interest or
privilege is enlisted 10 preseTv: The Princi pl.
OF privilege, fully realizing the disastrous
consequences TO his own little tin god if
some other tinsel deity SHOULD be dethronetl.
The practice of the devoiees of privilege
ought to he sufficient example for the oppo-
nents Of privilege. The broad conflict lies
between the privileged on s,!e, and the
unpriviIeged on the o.her. And the new
i'enociacy must mass its assaalt on the
principle OF privileges; ,.est,oy, b at down,
un ~icrmine privilege, and ali the evils of
privilege will cease to I've
lne friends OF privilege wiser in their
way than the chill ircn "i iiGit; ii IS entirely
10 their satisfaction to i=sht a campaign. Il
series Of camp i,ns, Oh any one OF the out
posts, o. false issue, against divided
opponent LIT tle opponents of privilege
IN al its forms unite. lie, tn re he no
lurking reservation ,nllpi om.s.. Let
privileges, OF wii.l'sDevcr ire !, b. exposed
md drives! into the Open the. 10 justify or
perish.
TIE ISSUE: Should be the rru<t--no; the
BrraX / ,ist, bat the trust. 1t should be
Eai!rO! ID Discri.!i;nlt!on--uot the Nan'ier
biz Lines. the G. ,u,ds'. or II:ll's, or any
ether lines, hu, Railroad Dis Elimination.
1t shuilI lie Franc his.-not the Union
Traction. PcriI 5 Ca, hut Franc hse.
1t should be The Ia, if not The Tariff on
Hides, Or Iron, or Coal, bu, the Tariff.
And within and tehin all, the i'm .liny
power of the New Democracy mus, be the
realization of the M oral value of ideals.
p i cy, bog AMI quicksand OF
perishing parties from tnmc morial time,
shout not longer lu,e upon false gro,nd
he hosts who stand for the ri-r,lts of man.