The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-11
WHAT or THE rUruREs

feated, but sometimes It IS necessary for discipline and as an incentive to re- newed. effort. Constant success means careiessness. indifference and possible failure when failure is least expected. Constant defeat might mean dis couragement, but if the cause Is just 1t should not mean total surrender as long as there is ground to fight on
 The Democratic Party has suffered a serious defeat. but 1t has not been ar- initiated. The party goes down, but Democracy survives as a principle, inn mutable and indcstructible. 1t was badly defeated in 1880, but reversed the verdict four years later. It was defeated in 1888 and again renewed Its power four years later. That 1t was defeated in 1898 and 1900 is not mat ter of surprise. and no argument Is necessary to account for 1t. The events and results of those years have passed into history and if mistakes were made the penalty was paid.
 We have been defeated again. but there's no need to wrangie over the cause or causes of it. RecYiminations will do no good and reproaches will add nothing to our party strength. We fhad a good candidate and a good plat form. but, as "the stars in their courses fought against Sisera," so the condi- tions and the circumstances fought against Parker. If country is enjoy- ing even a moderate degree of good times and prosperity the party in power gets the benefit of it. If there are hard times the party in power gets the blame. There may be no justice in either case, but justice and right are not always triumphant in politics.
 We are defeated. and as Democrats are relieved of responsibility for the conduct of the government they will have ample time to prepare for another great battle and be ready to bury the Republican Party four years hence. We have a well-grounded belief that four more years of 1t will be as much as 1 this country can or will stand. The patience of the American people is not absolutely without bounds, and if the years ahead are to be a repetition of the recent past we should feel no fear for the result of the next conflict. if we deserve to succeed.
 If Democracy is to succeed it must deserve success. Tt is not in mortals to command success. but we'll do more, Sempronius, we'll deserve It." says Shakespeare, and that is what Democ- racy must do. To win 1t must stick to principle and fight for 1t. There must be no more running after false gods, no more wandering in strange paths. and no more making bargains with non- Democrats. There must be no more bargaining of principle for false mo- tions of conciliation. Edmund Burke said: "All government-indeed. every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act-is found- ed on compromise and barter"
 To a certain extent that Is true in politics. There are always conflicts of opinion, of choice and of methods of conducting a campaign. and with out some compromises there could never be any agreement. but there should never be any compromise or surrender of principle. Democracy is right or it Is wrong. There is no mid- dle ground, and we hold that it is right. that 1t is founded on the doctrine of equal and exact justice to all, and that there should be no favoritism, no | special privileges and no setting of one class above another. It is the party fCf the common people as well as of the high and mighty, of the toiling masses as we'll as the idle rich.
 1 The real leaders of Democracy have a most important work before them, and 1t should begin at once. When an army has been defeated a good general sets to work to reform his lines, to correct the mistakes of the past, and to organize his forces for future con
 tests. That is the duty of Democra- cys generals. Profiting by past err
 TOTS they can better lay their plans for the next battle. The party cannot win by dalIying wit hthe De1ilahs of other political beliefs. It has been shorn of it's strength once too often in that way. The only hope of success in the future is in Democratic Party fashioned as nearly as possible on the old lines on which 1t rode to victory when 1t com batted for principles. New issues may arise. but they should not he permitted to take precedence of principle, or cause us to forget our duty to the country and the people. New men may set themselves up as leaders. but if they propose to lead us by crooked paths they should be sent to the rear. There are yet strong men among us who have kept the faith. who have never bowed the knee tc Baal, and who will walk before us and lead us to de- served victory, if we will follow them and turn a deaf ear to the opportu- nists who are ever running after some thing new.
 Four years is not a long time in the history of a republic. and 1t is none too long for preparation for the great con- fiict of 1908. We can profit much by | our own mistakes and much more by tho mistakes of the enemy. The Re- | publican Party has been guilty of grievous wrongs against the govern ment and the people in the past and 1 will be sure to commit other and