The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-09
MONDAY, NOV. 9, 1908.
GAINS TO DEMOCRACY.

Our Republican brethren are asking
where the Democratic party can find
comfort in the returns of the late cleo
ton. One of them, tacitly admitting
that New York was substantial DEM
ocratic victory, pictures the party look
ing in that direction and the Repub-
lican party looking toward Ohio, with
the legend that each can be comforta-
Bile while gazing in front of it, but dare
not trust a backward look.
We find great promise for the Demo-
cratic party in both events. The i'm
portance of the victery in New York
we have ALREADY described. The i'm
portance of the result in Ohio, al
though of very different character is
scarcely less pronounced. The tale of
the Ohio ballots outlines and confirms
for the future that policy by which De-
mocracy will surely and greatly win.
The late campaign in Ohio was an
experiment. 1t was thoroughly agreed
upon anu ISIOOu OCIN CCA Oil SiiS
leaders that this election would be a
test case Ohio Democrats, like those
Of many other states, were divided in
their opinion of the sort of candidate
who should be nominated, and the kind
of platform on which he should stand.
While ancient animosities and bitter
ness had mostly vanished, there was
stin decided and honest difference of
opinion between two portions of the
party on questions of propriety and po-
litical expediency. The radicals had
their views and the conservatives
theirs. 1t was decided that it would
be better to try them out.
The radical wing of the party sue
ceeded after lively contest in secur-
ing control of the state organization.
The conservatives yielded gracefully
and agreed to the test The Ohio plat
form was so fashioned as to contain
all of the more extreme doctrines that
have been urged of late years upon
Democracy. 1t was agreed to set these
before the people SO that, if they really
represented progress, if the trend of
popular thought and popular desire
was in that direction, the voters might
have a chance to say so. Municipal
ownership the single tax idea, the ex-
farcino Of fol +
the expense of the individual, all of the
principles and theories which we are
accustomed to think of as leading I'D
gradually to state socialism, were here
represented.
They were all excellently embodied
likewise, in the person of the candi-
date for governor. Tom Johnson is a
splendid, big-hearted, aggressive hon
est and popular man. AS an individual
he represented in his own strong be-
liefs all these ideas included in the
platform. AS a man he was admired
and trusted, and he is a practiced and
magnificent campaigner. Those who
differed from him in matters of belief
and policy agreed to stand by him in
his campaign; and the nomination OF
Mr.. Clark, gold Democrat, for the
senatorship, and the campaign in which
he stumped the state for the ticket side
by side with Johnson, was a sufficient
earnest of party harmony and fidelity
Under such conditions as these the
tally of the vote means a choice be-
tween policies. 1t tested the strength
of the two tendencies of the Democra-
cy with the voters. 1t was a practical
referendum, in which the question SET
before the people was whether the
Democratic party should follow after
1hese new doctrines or devote itself to