Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-05-12
THE DUTY OF DEMOCRACY.
It Must Win This Year and in Order
to Win 1t Must Be United
Solidly.

In order to live and endure a party
must demonstrate its usefulness. De-
mocracy must either prove itself the
agent of the people or resign its title
before the world. Eventually it must
either secure q restoration Of the PEG.
pies principles to governmental func.
tons or r~elinquish its claim Upon
their allegiance and support. How.
ever virtuous may be the principles
which it symbolizes. their mere ex.
cellence as distractions cannot guar.
antee permanent party life. Princi.
pies survive by application and test.
Parties survive by their ~serviceability.
In order to represent the people, in
the true sense, democracy must con,
troll government. In the sense that
it has been a powerful minority. a
threatening opposition, it has served
powerfully as a stimulus and as a
check upon the majority party. But
this is not the function which the
people value. Nor in the past eight
years have the check and stimulus peer
as potent for good as they would have
been under normal conditions. A des-
potic and extraordinarily developed re-
publican machine has ignored the voice
of the people as expressed in both par
ties.
The st. Louis Republic aptly says that
democracy must conform and adapt
itself to the country's demands, if il
would continue as the great instrument
tally of the people. 1t must sacrifice
minor considerations, internal differ.
ences and questions of mere personality
to the vital motive of practical service
ability. The great body of voters which
represents political domination stands
ready and eager to employ a democracy
ordered upon the broad plan of national
needs. The eye Of the country is turned
anxiously upon democracy. What will
it DO? Will it SO solve its small inferno
cine problems as to concentrate all its
strength at the polls? Will it lend itself
to the plain demands of the people1
Inevitably it will suffer if it does not.
A great occasion is offered for an ex-
ercise Of the power of genuine democ.
racy. The national government is in
control of a political organization which
is un-American and antagonist. to the
organic principles upon which our insti-
buttons are formed and our social body
rests. The republican machine is a per-
version of politics and political organi.
cation; an ~arrogation of power by cor.
rupt means into the hands of an exclu.
sive ring; its motive is pe%rpetuation and
further consolidation of control and its
operation is palpably and directly inim.
ical TO rights in the most comprehensive
sense This Capitalization Of power, as
it may be called, is corrupt to the heart
essentially, as its pursuits have glaring-
ly exhibited to the people during the
eight republican years past,
The people are manifestly growing
keen to liberate themselves from tbs
rule of the trust-tariff Doodle organiza-
ton which has been guilty of such dire
and costly abuses in administration and
such menacing Entertainments upon in
dividUal liberty. The people fear to in
trust the nations further keeping to the
selishness, recklessness, trust-imperi-
alism and opportunism Of the Roosevelt
regime, the trend of which is toward
certain perils, both internationally and
internally.
A safe, sane democracy never stood
a better chance of winning. Let it pro-
coed upon a common-sense basis with a
view to present needs. Let it announce
itself nationally both in its declarations
and in it's nomination of a candidate in
whom all interests may repose conf
dence. Let it address itself to the issues
so clearly and fixedly presented. The
result cannot be otherwise than profit
able.
Defeat surely awaits division. There
is no hope for any other than a demo-
cratic party solidly united upon genuine.
;ooroodioto ritol iccros