Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-04-07
FORWARD MARCH!
HOW DEMOCRATS SHOULD MEET
PRESENT ISSUES.
Ali Issues Pale Into Insisnificance Before the
Overshadowins Question, Shall the Corpor.
atoms on the People Control the Govern
ment.

ment.
How will the democratic party meet
the pr sent issues? Or, rather. how will
the democratic party meet the present
issue, for there is in reality but one issue,
and the issue runs through all questions?
The great and oversh allowing question
presented by all the issues discussed is,
Shall the corporations or the people con-
t oil the government OF the United States
Today the corporations are in absolute
control. Even when the supreme court
decides that the government has power
todestroy the trusts, the attorney general
rushes forward and assures the combina.
tons that the administration has no in
tsntion Of disturbing them. The rule Of
these corporations is unlimited and COM
plete. The president refuses to enforce
the law as it stands, and the republican
congress refuses to enact new legislation.
The government is being used for the
enrichment OF the few at the expense OF
the many, officials are making money by
the sale OF their influence, and corrup
ton is rampant in city. state and nation.
The public conscience has been Supplied
by commercialsm until the grossest
ofienses against liberty and good govern
ment do not awaken the protest that
ought to be made against even trivial
departures from the path Of rectitude.
The government is used as a business
asset by those who control it and enor.
nous campaign funds are contributed by
the financiers of class legislation and dis
tributed as brides to the people. Repub-
licans as we'll as democrats recognize the
menace OF such ID condition. but when
confronted with the acts Of their own
party, make but one reply: "But will
the democratic party. if entrusted with
power do any better?" And to give
force and reasonableness to their inquiry.
they point to the administration Of
Grover Cleveland. Whenever an attack
is made npon republican wrong-dolng,
there is always response from some
republican, and that response is always
the same: "You had your chance under
Cleveland and you did the same" 1t is
in vain to point out the Inconsistency Of
such an answer, vain to point. out that
the republicans rather than the demo.
Gratis ought to shoulder the responsibility
for Mr.. Cleveanl's administration. To
the o. binary republican Cleveland stands
for democracy because he is the only
democratic president we have had. They
overlook the fact that his assistance gave
the country republican administration
that followed in his footsteps as he
followed in the footsteps OF his republic
can predecessors.
Secretary Shaw in a recent speech,
emphasized the fact that Mr.. Cleveland
did nothing on the trust question. That
is no justification OF the inaction OF the
present administration, but it is taking
a reply and imposes upon the democratic
party the necessity of making democracy
mean something entirely different from
either Clevelandism or republicanism.
The fact that the great dailes which
bolted in 1896, but which still claim to
be democratic, present Cleveland and
Clevelandism as representing democratic
principles and democratic aspirations,
is a great embarrassment. 1t re-
mains for the convention 10 show,
as it has twice before, that these papers
controlled by the influence that controls
the republican party, do not speak for
the democratic masses.
Just now the republicans are making
merry over the merger decision. but what
is there in it to cause exultation among
republicans. Why does not the presi.
dent enforce the law if the law is good
Why are the numerous great trusts al
lowed to continue business? If the
!! governor OF state enforced the law
! against one horse thief in ten or twenty
; or one hundred, could he excuse himself
3 for not enforcing it against the Other
;; nine or nineteen or ninety-nine? The
, reason for the republican inaction is
. plain to be seen. The party receives
2 campaign contributions from trusts
l Trust officials and financiers lend to the
8 republican leaders their power to coerce
: employees and intimidate borrowers. viii
9 the democratic party initiate republican
g methods and invite confidence only Il
betray it, or will it take firm and
strong stand against the commercialisn
Of the day and make attempt to restore
i the government to its old foundatio nj
and to purify politics? The democratic
party has two paths before it. 1t cal
follow the republican party upon the
downward path or it can take the patti
leading to higher ground. In the las
e two campaigns the party has made
strenuous fight for higher ideals, but it