Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-12-01
The ELECTION.
Editor Of DEMooR An:

were never better tilan tney are at the
present time, and the Republican party
has never faced grayer dangers than it will
face during the next four years.
In the first place, an overwhelming
victory is always dangerous to q party in
power, because it is accepted as an unre-
stricted endorsement OF its policies and
has tendency TO make the party arrogant
and to embue its leaiers with the idea that
anything that they may do will meet with
popular approval.
/ In the present instance the danger is
unusually great because Of the peculiar
conditions apparent
The President is man possessing many
admirable qualities, bat meeknese and self
abnegation are not among them.
Always headstrong and impatient Of
restraint he is now likely to regard him
self as the man of destiny, and to be less
inclined to coneiliate the great leaders Of
his party than before.
These old leaders, who were gray in the
service of their party before the President
was known in politics, saw themselves
ignored and his one time private secretary
arbitrarily put forward to manage the
campaign regardless of their wishes and
contrary to precedent.
Party discipline compelled them to sub
nit to the humiliation and work for the
ticket, but now that the election is over
they will not be likely to submit to White
House dictation without bitter struggle
The President has announced that he will
not be candidate in 1908 but if not a
candidate himself, lie will probably attempt
to dictate the nomination.
This will be likely to arouse strong oppo-
sition, and as there has long been dissen-
sions within the party on the tariff, imper-
ialism, the financial problem and numer-
Gus other questions, the prospect for bar
money is not bright.
Party discipline has hitherto held the
ldiscordant elements in line bus the practi-
cal disappearance of all serious opposition
to Republican policies this year viii give
them an opportunity to fight out their
family differences. Hence we may look for
break that may result IN two Republican
candidates in 1908.
The one great danger that eonfronts the
Democrats in this event will be the desire
OF the conservative element 80 join hands
with one Of the Republican factions and
repeat the Greeley fiasco Of 1872 But this
elementgis not likely to haxs IS much
weight in Democratic councils Hereafter as
lit has had this year.
! In spite Of its proneness 10 blunder, the
Democratic party must at least see that
conservatism is not Democracy.
Conservatism crucifed the Saviour, put
Socrates to death, instigated every religious
4 persecution that ever cursed mankind and
has opposed al great reforms and dis
lcoveries since the foundation of the world
Where radealism has slain it's thousands,
conservatism has slain its tens Of thousands.
As a conservative party the Democrats
can only struggle along behind their opop-
nents, querulously opposing every Republic
can move at first, but finally taking posses
sion of their abandoned camp grounds
The Democratic party must now see that
the country has no use for party without
principles.
It must at least be apparent to them that
if the American people want the govern.
ment conducted in accordance with Repub
Iican policies, they viii elect Republican:
to do it. and unless the Democrats have
something more than assistant Republican
ism to offer, they cannot hope to be en-
trusted with power.
When the conservative element attempt
lea to revise the tariff during Cleveland.
last administration, they wrecked the party
and made tariff reform an impossible cry
for the Democracy. When the progressive
Democrats took hold ii 1896 and tried Il
pull the party out Of the mud where con
se1yatism had left il, this same conservative
element openly and brazenly worked t.
defeat the Democratic candidates up to th'
present year. Then through the supine
ness Of the rank and file, they came back
aud took charge of the party.
i Not only was the fatted calf killed fo
| the returned prodicals, but they took tn
old COW and the pasture field as we'll.
They boosted that under their control
the party had again become sane and re
spectacle and that the populistic ele.
mens was TO be driven ont to make room
for the better element Of Wall street.
Several Of the big capitalistic newspaper
came out for Parker, few sore head Re
publicans and mugwumps, western rail
road president and Grover Cleveland pu
their shoulders to the Parker wheel; bu t
make room for these acquisitions millio