Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-12-10
SHAM OPPOSITION
AN OPPOSITION PARTY A NECES'
S,TY OF GOVERNMENT.
But That Party Must be Real Opposition,
Not Sham, Says the Chicago Chronicle.
But That Paper Is Hardly In Position to
Advise Democrats.

In an editorial printed in its issue OF
November 10, the Chicago Chronicle pro-
vided its readers with rare entertainment.
Because several southern senators an.
nounced that, alth' ugh they did not
approve of Mr. Roosevelt's all too-ready
recognition Of the Panama republic, they
would vote for canal treaty with that
republic in the event such treaty were
submitted to the senate, the Chronicle
expressed grea Indignation. That paper
referred in several places to these gentle
men as "treacherous democrats" and in
several other places called them PRO
fessed democrats
1t is rather strange to read in paper
that has habituIlly bolted democratic
candidates and persistently assailed dem
ocratic principles this talk about "treach.
erous democrats" and "professed demo-
crats;" and it is no less interesting to
read in the same paper the statement
that ''the republicans, when they 20 over
to the democratic side for aid, are always
able to get what they want"
1t must be admitted that on several
occasions the republicans, when they
have gone over to the democratic eide Tor
aid, have shown the ability to get what
they wanted. For instance, while the
Chicago Chronicle was posing as demo-
cratic newspaper, when the republican
managers wanted the Chronicle to sup
port republican candidates the republl.
cans were able to get what they wanted;
and when the money power wanted the
Chronicle to assail democratic principles,
to make Misrepresentation concerning
democrats engaged actively in the sup
port of those principles, those influences
were able to get what they wanted.
Perhaps the most interesting state.
ment in this particular Chronicle editor
al is this:
"This country stands in great need of
an opposition party which will oppose
what is manifestly wrong, and oppose it
uniedly and in earnest. second party
which offers only sham opposition is
disheartening, disgusting and menace
to the welfare and 20 d name OF the re-
public"
Will the Chronicle be willing to apply
this interesting declaration to the demo
cratic party's attitude on all public ques.
the country has fought more persistently
than the Chronicle in the effort TO pre-
vent the democratic party from becom-
what is 'manifestly wrong"
No one auestiored the sincerity OF the
democratic party in 1896 or in 1900, No
one questioned the earnestness Of the
men who rallied around the Chicago
platform and the Kansas City platform.
The trust magnates and the beneticiaries
OF special privileges we'll knew that in
the event OF democratic victory in 1896
or in 1900, the party would not offer
"only sham opposition" Those pco-
pie knew that the democratic party was
in earnest and that it intended to oppose
what is manifestly wrong. That it did
not Oppose these wrongs "unitedly" is
the fault OF such papers as the Chicago
Chronicle and such democrats" as
those for whom the Chronicle speaks.
1t is interesting to remember that even
at this time when the Chronicle is pre-.
tending to plead for can opposition party
that will oppose what is manifestlv
wrong and oppose it unitedly and in
earnest" it is engaged with other rep
resentatives Of the recognizing element,
in an effort to republicanlze the party,
to destroy its position in defense of JEFF.
iersonian principles and to transform it
into "only sham opposition"
Democrats generally have insisted that
this country needs an opposition party
which will oppose what is manifestly
wrong and oppose it unitedly and in
earnest. Democrats generally have in
sisted that a second party which offers
only sham opposition is disheartening,
disgusting and a menace to the welfare
and good name of the republic; and
democrats generally recognize the fact
that the Chicago Chronicle has exerted
whatever power it may possess in the
effort to make the democratic party ex-
actly what, in the editorial referred to,
the Chronicle admits the democratic
party should not be.