Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-01-27
FROM WASHINGTON
Special Correspondents Of the cornrrn.
Washington. Jan. 26

representatives, under the able
leadership of the Hon. John Sharp
Williams, are lining up in solid ar
ray against the republican party
and all it stands for. The demo-
cratic party in this House is going
to stand for something besides ne
cation, something besides mere OBJ
struction of republican tactics.
Hitherto, this has been the height
OF the ambition of the democratic
floor leader. If he could line up
the democrats to oppose anything
that the republicans suggested he
seemed satisfied and let matters
go at that. Not so with John
Sharp Williams. He wants the
democratic party to stand for
something positive, and to place
the republican party on the defen-
sive, and he intends to do so if the
democrats who are the leaders of
the party on the floor of the House
Will back him up in his intentions.
He will have conference once
a week with the leading democra-
TIC members on every committee
in the House, and ascertain exactly
what Is coming out of the commit
tee and what is before it i'm the
shape of legislation. If any of the
legislation is worthy of considera-
ton from a party standpoint,
meeting of all the democratic
members of the committee will be
called and a fight opened up on the
republican measure and a substi-
tute offered and fought for with
might and main. He will thus or
ganize standing 'elbow-to-el-
bow" movement, and quit the old
endless, and endlessly unsuccess-
ful, game of merely opposing
things without having anything to
put in the place of the thing OPP
posed. He intends to organize, if
he can, an affirmative democracy
IN the House at any rate, and
through the House in the entire
country. His watchword from
now on will be face front, for
ward march," and charge the
enemy at every point of the line,
keeping off the defensive ourselves
and put him on it. The republ-
can party is right now the party of
negation in the country. 1t is in
favor of standing pat and "Iet-
ting well enough alone" as if
things ever were well enough in
this poor world of ours. He is
going to organize an attack all
along the line so that one of the
two things will happen: we will
either break their line or else they
will cease TO stand pat.
We will put them where they
dare not stand pat on Canadian
reciprocity, where they dare not
stand pat in still further ignoring
recommendations of the Interstate
Commerce Commission TO adopt
remedies To put an end to inius-
tices perpetrated by common car
rierS.
His policy also will place them
in the position where they dare
not stand pat on the methods of adj
ministration which have obtained
in the Post Office Department,
and In other branches of the gov
ernment. His policy is along the
lines of an aggressive democracy,
and it will do more to unite the
party and put it in fighting trim
for the great campaign this year
than anything that can come to
the assistance of the party at this
time. said in this correspond
ence months ago that this democ-
racy of the country was to be con-
graduated on the leadership of
the Hon. John Sharp Williams,
because, knowing the man as |
did, / knew what he would do
when he assumed the reins of this
quasi official position. He has the
brains, the self-poise, the tact, the
unfailing good nature, the high
moral principle. the aggressive
ness and the love of true democ-
racy that admirably fit him for an
ideal legislator in the interests of
the people as against the classes
and the combinations of predatory
wealth. If the people will sus-
tain him they will reap the re-
ward.
AT least one republican member
of the House of Representatives
has a good idea of the eternal fit
ness of all things, and what is due
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