Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-15
pEmocRAcYs FUTURE WELL DEFINED.

DEMOCRACYS FUTURE WELL DEFINED.
w. j. Bryan, who is now in q posi-
ton to give advice to the democratic
party, says that the recent democratic
disaster was due to the adoption Of
conservative policies when the Ills OF
the times demanded radical remedies.
Unofficial announcement has been
made in the newspapers of a scheme
promoted by Standard OIL interests to
form a gigantic railway trust that shall
do away with competition between rail-
roads. and already the Dubuque Tele-
graph, q very intelligent democratic
organ, predicts that w. j. Bryan will
run for president four years hence on
O platform declaring for the govern
ment ownership Of railroads. Here we
have the blazed trail Of the future.
In one respect Mr.. Bryan Is right.
There Is not room for two parties of
conservatism. A "safe and sane" DEM
ocracy, If it lives up to it's name must
come so near the republican party and
nglnciples that there is not enough diff
ference to permit Of contest between
them. The republican party having,
smpted about all of the safe and sane
doctrines voters Of a safe and sane
turn Of mind will prefer it to any other
party Just as they did in this election.
The opposition party then, in order to
be an opposition party, must adopt
radical policies. It must oppose conser-
vatism with radicalism. The time is
fast approaching in this country when
its policies will be divided between the
two parties of conservatism and rad
icalism as the politics of older coun-
tries have been 50 divided for many
years. Safe and sane democrats might
rs well make up their minds that the
pnly safe and sane party left to them
for the future is the republican party
and that it will became the duty OF
shoulder to shoulder in opposition to
radicalism in all its multifarious
forms.
And the issues four years hence are
not going to be so easy to meet as
they have been. For instance If the
Standard Oil interests do succeed in
Ill E1,,No 1cs lar
some kind of an agreement that will
eliminate competition and yet evade
the antitrust law there is nothing left
for the public to do in self defense,
as clearly explained by Governor Cum
minis in his Dubuque address, but to
regulate railroad rates thru the federal
government. Their artful and ingen-
ious orators will choose a period of
Industrial discomfort to come forward
with the proposition, the government
owns and operates the postal system
1t spends millions to deepen harbors
and waterways and has spent two hu1-
dred millions for an inter-oceanic cam
al, why should it not own the railways
and give every man a square deal? And
what will the party Of conservatism
have to say in reply that can be easily
understood by the masses? The men
who are today perfecting gigantic
combinations are merely sowing that
they may reap the whirlwinds Of rad
icalism in the future. Bryan is pro-
phetic when he points to the error
in democracy's attempting to win on
conservative policies. The republican
party Is already the party Of conserva-
tism. The democratic party must take
up with radicalism, with government
ownership and quasi-socialistic doc
trines and command the united support
Of all radical elements in society, then
await a period of commercial depres-
sion and the rest of us will need to
watch out for our welfare.