Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-27
SHIFTING PARTY LINES.

es@8H
The announcement which Is just
made that Paul Morton has renounc.
sed his lifelong allegiance to the Dem,
.ocracy and joined the Republican
ranks ii significant because of the dis
I~tingufshed place which his late father,
Sterling Morton. occupied in the
Democratic party, and because II 4
a striking Illustration Of the tenden'
cy of the times.
Upon the Ascendancy of Mr., Bryan
in the Democratic party in 1896. many
lifelong Democrats renounced their
party, Ii was the hrst step IN the
radicalism which Is rapidly becoming
the dominant note In the new Dem
ocracy. II was the beginning Of a
movement which may easily result In
the complete changing Of old party
lines IN the United States within the
next decade.
No intelligent person q dispute
that II the Democratic party we're TO
make Mr. Hearst their nominee this
year. Mr. Roosevelt would gel tens
az thousands Or Democratic votes;
moreover. Ii a man Of Mr.. Hanna's
who however popular person
ally, has represented In the peoples
minds the interests OF capital-if such
q man had been chosen by the Repub.
Leans. and d socalled champion Of the
people. who was not personally i'm
possible, had been nominated by the
Democrats, he would have received
thousands 81 Republican votes 10
seplf Folk. as the nominee Of the peo-
pie against the bosses. viii, from all
indications, receive d great many Re
publican votes in Missouri this fall
Blind allegiance to party Is not SO
common as It was two decades ago.
People are doing more Of their own
thinking and the people Of the United
States are thanking today, not about
questions of Imperialism or free sil.
yer or tarifr, but about the problem 81
labor and capital, The trusts and the
unions are the subjects most In the
minds 81 the people and most avoided
by the politicians. And these or al
Hell factors of the day win determine
the political landmarks IN another
decade. Thus we read the signs Of
the timcs. Everything points 10
a coming division along conservative
and radical lines. And the action
OF Nh. Morton Il but illustrative Of the
belief among students Of the times
that The radical spirit Is 10 gain
complete control Of the Democratic
party. II this proves to be so, his
example VIII be followed by a host
al conservative Democrats within the
next ten years.
al prominent New E~nglander, @. ~
Converse, OF boston, declared his be.
lief The other day that the present
political differences bel ween the north
and the south would presently disap-
pear. Said he "The time Is fast ap
preaching In the United States when
the best men Of all sections Of the
union are going 10 act in concert as
% political Matters While not stat
ing whom he Included among the best
men, he doubtless meant men who
think as he does on political ques
lions.
Continuing. Mr.. Converse said, with
possibly a little partisan partially.
II have many close friends in Geor-
gia, Alabama. and other southern
representing the best citizen
q their commonwealth, Nearly
OF them are in the Democratic
va ~
party, At the north nearly all OF the
best people are Of the Republican
faith. Now Il does not stand Is rca.
son that for all time these Intelligent,
substantial and patriotic citizens. who
are really types Of the highest Ameri- !
can manhood. should be found IN op.
camps on the other hand.
here Il that affinity between human
beings who are working Tor the same
ends that win ultimately bring them
together Had l. not been for purely
Iocai conditions prevailing III the south
Ihis ainaleamation might have occur