The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-07
SEEING THE WRITING.


 The New York Evening Post evidently sees something very much resembling ths handwriting on the wall which gave old Belshazzer such a jar. In It's issue of Wednesday it admits that "the elections yesterday are a clear warning to Republi- cans that they must put their house in order" If The Post is posted in Bible literature, 1t will remember that when the prophet Isaiah carried the word of the Lord to King Hezekiah, he said to him: Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live"
 Is this what The Post means by advis- ing Republicans to put their house in or6er." And does it mean to tell the Party, as Daniel told Belshazzer: Thou are weighed in the balances, and art found wanting?' Evidently 1t does mean something of the kind, for it reads the Republicans a long lecture, some of which is worth republishing. For example:
 For some time it has been plain that the inevitable reaction against the Republl- cans has set in. The moment Party fancies it has an indefinite lease of pow CT. and takes on the insolent manner or q lIS late IS Sedieu. NOlctS bCeih to feel that 1t has been in the saddle too long, and that a change will oe whole some. Men who will not particularlze their objection to existing persons anc policies are ready to support new men and measures, sure that-whatever the outcome-the situation can be no worse. and that 1t may be much better. rms sentiment, which cannot be destroyed by statistics of trade or swayed by argu- ment and appeal, is one of the most for midable forces with which the Repubii- cans must cope next year.
 Then The Post alludes to the fact that the Party has become so puffed up with power that it is needless of the demands of the people. blind to the many evil dences of dissatisfaction, and that 1t has allowed some administrative departments to become honey-combed with fraud. And 1t warns them that they can no longer stand pat on the tariff with impunity, saying:
 The country will will not stand pat. The revolt is on in Iowa. and throughout the Middle West The union between the Re publicans and the beneficiaries of the tariff will be more odious as men begin to feel the strain of harder times. Peo- pie will not continue without protest to pay a good share of their earnings to protect monopolies. Then the enormous expenses or GOVerhment ana the gross appropriations will touch the. popular mind The Republicans have forgotten that their party is not the whole nation, and have been distributing too freely the and in the dozen other hogsheads that are broached each winter in Washington. In viewing the extravaganza of today. the members of the first .'billion-dollar Con gress'' must regret their own modesty and self-restraint; but the rank and file of the farmers and laborers will be troubled by no such grief.
 All this is true and pertinent, but really the most significant part of The Post editorial is it's reference to the marked change in Democratic sentiment as evidenced by the elections. As 1t ex- presses it: 'The fever of <Bryanism, which laid the Democracy on its back, has spent | it's force," and this Is true. The triumph of Mckinley in 1896 and 1900 can be ate gust among Democrats all over the Union at the free-silver delusion. Thousands | of them remained away from the polls rather than give aid and countenance to such a heresy. Other thousands voted fol Mckinley, preferring to turn theil | in a movement which meant ruin to tht country.
 But that has passed. The fever of Bry anism has spent its course. Good Demo crats see and feel that their Party will no longer be handicapped by an impos sible, imprac:icable and dangerous theory Many of them who were driven out O | .LI their allegiance and will work for De mocracy in the future as they did in tho past, when the word meant something real, vital and deserving. It means, too that not only are the true Democrat. coming back, but they are agair turning to the leaders who in former times led them along the Democratic high ways to deserved success. Error in poll tics, as in other matters, may triumph for a time but not forever. Men may bC led astray by false prophets and danger ous leaders. but there will come a time when their eyes will be opened and they will see the right way.
 This evidence of returning political san, ity of one of the most gratifying ant hopeful of last Tuesdays work, for i means that the Democrats will get to gether on Democratic principles and gc into the campaign next year with pros. poets of success. To do this, a sound platform and a trusty leader are essen. tial. The Democrats of the South and the East and the Middle-West must adopt a platform with nothing in it but Democ. racy. and must nominate candidat te who will command the confidence, the re. spect and the support of those without whose votes no Democrat can be elected Is not his name Grover Cleveland?
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