Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-08-03
The Lines Forming.
(From the Cedar Rapids Gazette. y

The Lines Forming.
tFrom the Cedar Rapids Gazette.)
From north to south. in the vicin-
ity of the Mississippi river are being
formed the lines for the fight against
boodling, trusts, political subservi-
ency to gamblers, watered stock and
the other ills that have come to
afilict business through political
conspiracies. The lines are being
formed as rapidly as were the lines
for the fight against slavery, and the
cleavage is as we'll defined. Begin
ming with the north, LaFollette and
Van SAINT in Wisconsin and Mime
sofa represent for the time being the
forces of Reform. In Iowa, Cum
Minis has been made the standard
bearer. In Missouri, the center Of
the line, Folk has been forced into
great prominence, while it might be
cited that Iowa and Missouri are re-
inforced by Nebraska under the
leadership of Bryan. While Bryan
is not in official position hardly any
other Nebraskan is known in leader
ship and there is no doubt as to his
enlistment for the war. The line
has been broken by the refusal to
admit Oklahoma as state, but Texas
has the best and most effective laws
regarding trusts to be found in the
whole union. Arkansas is in line
and it may be supposed that the de-
velopment will be noticed in other
states in this part Of the country.
In party way this condition has
no significance, except that the par
ties will conform to the conditions
or be submerged. The development
of theideai is as naturalas the growth
of crop after the ground has
been prepared and the seed sown.
1t cannot be stopped any more than
the cowardly statutes adopted at the
time stopped the fight against slav-
cry, and while the present issue may
develop no John Brown itislikely to
develop in some one, or several of
these states, governors who, by ener-
getic actions, will become the John
Browns of the movement. A guess
would place this leadership in Mis-
souri,. The fight in that state SO far
has been against bribery and bood-
ling, but the connection with certain
trusts is intimate, and should Folk
be elected to the governorship, of
which there is little doubt, it is evi-
dent that he would not hesitate to
strike and to strike with all the
force at his command at any corpora
ton or other agent Of corruption and
wrong-doing. Such action might
call up contest with the federal
courts, that in several cases have
been made to represent the corpora
tions, Just as the courts in ante-bel-
lum days had been made to repre-
sent slavery.
| The sentiment against the trusts
in these western states is genuine
and is SO strong as to compel the
parties in power to take up the
movement, although in each Of the
states there are factions Of these
parties still anxious to sell popular
rule to the corruptionists and bood
lers for the price Of the offices anc
other rewards. This is nothing new
There were factions in the whig, re
publican and democratic parties be
fore the war Of the rebellion, and the
republican party was organized t,
check the spread of slavery, not t
abolish the system. The minorit,
parties of the time, the parties tina
never elected president, outlined
the true policy Of the governmen
and foretold the liberation of tn
negro, and having done their wor
perished from the face of the cart
} just as the smaller minority partie
of this time, the really evangelics
! part Of progressive politics, are lik'
I ly to do. The two Dakotas have a
ready expressed their positions, #
/ publicans and democrats alike r.
! fusing to conform to the easter
! idea, the idea that would place til
throne of money and commerce i
! the east and that would make pro,
: inces Of other sections of the countr
! All the country west Of the Missi
: sippi, and a great deal of the cou
: try south of the Ohio is arrays
: against the domination of the trus
and monopolies in politics, viii
: New Jersey stands to the moyeme
5 for South Carolina.