The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1904-03-03
nnqulrer's Sensible Editorial.

nave spoken OI MIN WIN WnhG
seems rather a labored attempt at
wit, as crank" 1t is hard to see
what it is hoped to accomplish by
indulging in this ungentle, not to
say, coarse calling of names insi6e
our own household. For it must
be remembered we are all Demo-
Gratis, and the fulminations of no
one man, whichever wing of the
party he be found in, is going to
make us anything else. There
has never been a time in our his
tory, unless it be recently, when
any one man has assumed the ex-
elusive right to say what were the
requisites and what the unmistak-
able signs of Democracy, mnch
less to assume that they could be
only such as he might approve of.
While we have certain funda-
mental principles which all recog-
nize and bow to, the policy Of the
party has varied at different per-
iods, and their has always been
room for many shades of opinion
within its lines. This is true even
in ecclesiastical organizations,
where rigid formulas of belief have
always been insisted on, but where
now wide tolerance and charity
as to creed Is growing up. So long
as a man marches under the ban
ner he may be high, low or broad
church without his loyalty being
questioned. and ell agree in trying
to contribute to the general sue
cess. Within a few days two
great branches of the Presbyterian
Church, long at cross purposes,
have dropped their disagreements
and united on platform which
ignores dissensions and all ques-
tions that are not of to-day.
We have as a party at one time
been for hard money, and at an
other for greenbacks, and when an
issue has been fought out and be-
come obsolete we have always had
the sense to realize it and pass on
to something alive. This is no
time for party quarrels, and for
any man to insist that orthodoxy
is his doxy and heterodoxy some
other mans doxy, or that those
holding Mr.. Bryan's view, or Mr..
Cleveland's view, alone are Demo-
Gratis. Nor is Incompetent for any
one to say because a man had par
ticular opinions. or voted par
ticular way in 1896, or in 1900,
whatever way it may have been,
that he is to be read out of the
party or is to have any less con-
sideration in its councils than one
who took an opposite course.
When the, United States, which
had been split into warning fact
ions, was confronted by foreign
enemy, it gladly enlisted in its
service those who had been in
arms against each other, and side
by side they marched to victory.
Imagine General Young and Gen
eral Wheeler delaying the cam
paign before Santiago and frus-
trating it's success by stopping to
wrangle over the constitutional
right of secession. We have had
our dissensions, but like those
which caused the Civil War they
are Of the past, and silver men and
gold men, Cleveland men and
Bryan men, should be found
shoulder to shoulder in the ranks.
If we are to win it must be so. A
party is too large and important
an organization to have its move
ments thrown into confusion and
it's success endangered by permit
ting minor differences to become
rampant and frittering away the
strength and energy which should
be concentrated on the opposition
it petty internal squabbles.
The Democratic party has per-
formed great part in the history
of the country, and it's mission is
still unfulfilled. On the threshold
of new century lie abundant op-
portunities which may be seized
and utilized to give it again con-
troll, and to bring back simplicity,
economy and due regard for the
just power of the states to the
Government at Washington. To