Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-11-24
THE OPPOSITION FOR 1909.

What sort Of a reorganization and
realignment will take place in the
Democratic party In the next four
years? What kind OF coalition and a
creed will the Republican party have
to fight in 1908? These are queries OF
some interest to Democrats, Populists
! Socialists, Republicans and all other
: political elements. 1t Is generally AS
sumed that the radicals of the Demo
cracy will be In the ascendant in that
party by the time the campaign OF
1908 opens, and that these are to be
the force which the Republican party
will be called upon to combat. Mr..
Debs, on the other hand. says that The
Democratic party will disintegrate, as
a result of its crushing defeat last
week, and that the Socialist party will
take its place AS Debs was the pres
idential candidate of the Social Dem
.ocratic party In. the two latest nation
nj elections and as he polled con
siderable vote last Tuesday. his words
on this point will have some weight.
Debs had 5000 votes in 1900. He got
at least 100000 in 1904. and the total
. when all the returns are in. may go
above that figure.
But the rest OF the radicals are not
in agreement with Mr.. Debs. Thomas
Il. Watson, who probably received in
the neighborhood of 100000 votes as
the standard bearer of the Populis,
party In the canvass just closed, says
100, that the Democratic party must
now go to pieces. and that reorgan-
ization will take place on lines simi'
lar to those on which the Populists
made their recent fight. He derides
the idea that his old friend Bryan will
be able to galvanize any new life into
the Democratic party. The Populist
creed includes these tenets. among
others: The national ownership OF the
railroads, the telegraphs and the tele-
prones, an income tax. postal sav-
Ing banks, the Initiative and referen'
DUN; governmental control of all
money issues. depriving the national
banks OF the privilege OF emitting cur
rency: local option on the liquor ques-
ton throughout the country; the cleo
ton of the President, United States
senators and federal judges by direct
vote of the people; reduction in the
army and navy. and. OF course the
free coinage OF silver at the ratio OF
16 TO l. This is the program which the
Populists want to set up for the coal
ition which is to fight the Republican
party in 1908, although neither the
Populists nor the Socialists care mucn
about free silver, preferring green
backs to coin of any sort.
Messrs. Bryan, Hearst and the
other radicals who are in good stand
ing in the Democratic party are the
men who will shape the creed OF the
Republicans opponent four years
hence and put up the candidates. Most
OF the things that the Populists put
forward could be accepted by the
Bryanite section OF the Democratic
party. Bryan himself has come out in
favor OF ownership OF the railways by
the individual states, which would
be a more drastic and demoralizing
move than the ownership by the ma
itonal government, for forty-fve mas
ters Tor the railways would Introduce
chaos in the management OF these
big and important interests which
would dislocate all industry and
threaten the foundations OF society.
Nevertheless, the Democratic party
IL the organization winch will make
the fight against the Republicans four
years hence, Debs and WaLson's as
sertions that the Democracy is dead
for good this time will not be &C
cepted by many persons who have
followed the history OF that oragniza-
ton. The Democracy has met many
staggering defeats, though last Tues
days was u little more sweeping and
humiliaLing than any OF its previous
disasters. Still. that party will keep
up its organization. 1t will alter its
creed and It's leadership in the next
year or TWO, but the name will stick.
and any OF those who voted for Par
ker recently will support the man who
is To be put up in the next national
convention. 1t will be the Democratic
party that the Republicans will meet
in 1908. but it will be = Bryanized
and Hearstized party. in which the
fighting ingredient will be AT the
front, and which will be able 10 make
more picturesque and stirring cam
paign than that which Parker ami has
followers put up.-Globe-Democrat