The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-16


We often hear II said that our govern
ment IS a government by party This Is
! absolutely true when construed TO mean
tnat parties arc the agencies through
/ known. 1t is also true In "a general way
! When II signifies that through the instru-
mentality of parties certain government
\ al measure are inaugurated ana certain
! FFlhclples made the guides OF govern
/ mental action. bus considered party
membership AMI The existence OF party
organizations are not only iegitimat e but
seem 10 be actually necessary TO the
! operation Of the machinery of our gov
+, ernment.
With this view Of partisanship in mind
/ " has always appeared 10 re that
i young man is engaged in serious business
/ when in the first stage OF mature citi-
zenshiD he Is considering mis- future po-
4 htical utilization and making ckCice OF
me party to which he will attach HIM
/ sen. I cannot escape the feeling that the
! fnal determination of these matters by a
new voter marks a sort OF modified re-
/ hnquishment of his freedom Of Judgment,
! and his subsequent subjugation 10 in
luences which dilute independent action.
/ The assumption Of party relationship viii
/ necessarily color his view OF political SUD-
/ lects and give 10 mis- consideration Of pub
/ lie affairs leading which il VIII be hard
/ entirely to shake off. THESE conditions
are due in part 10 the unacceptable in
Iiuence OF party comradcSnip. and per-
! maps more TO the binding zeal hat grows
/ out OF party effort and contest. To these
] must be added the pride. 20 much q part
/ OF human nature that il must be reckoned
4 with. and so nearly related TO high man.
/ iiness that Il can hardly be condemned
I which. excert in the sevcrcst stress OF
/ conscience. refuses TO appear d.sloyal TO
/ party enlistment
The Importance Of Starting Right.
It is. therefore. on every account of the
UTMOST Importance that the Young voter
81 shouia NOT make a false start, and that
~ setthng upon his party membership he
should not only avail himself of ali the
! freedom of thought and unbiased iudy-
Meht sun at his command. but should
Also bring 10 his aid an intelligent appre-
1eIlsIoh on national conditions, and stu
olOus examination OF the principles and
tendencies Of the parties open to his en-
! trance: and all this shonId be supple
mented by the guidance OF Il pure con-
9 70 .h ana an untarnished patriotism.
| III thereupon he realizes that It was the
intent OF our scheme of government. when
| II was delivered into the keeping Of the
I 1aI0h voting citizenship. that every in
olvlduai voter should thoughtfully and pa
| triotcally regard his suffrage as demand
| ing OF him service TO his country as Sc
rlous and as vital as that rendered IN
war for It's defense. his earnest fnvesti-
Sation and the influence of Clevating
sentiment will make him a duLiful and
useful party man
1t would be a happy thing for the ma
uon II our political parues were alto
sether thus constituted and Il every
voter constantly had in his mind lively
sense or personal responsibility for the
proper exercise OF his suffrage. We all
Know, however, that in point OF fact po-
! litical organizations are very largely COM
posed OF those who have drifted TITO their
membership without the least independ-
ent consideration of party principles as
related 20 the general welfare OF the
country and the peoples needs. Many OF
| these have no better reason for belong
ing 70 one party instead OF another than
the fact that their fathers belonged there
before them; many are led into nsrty re-
latonship by the influence of social in
| timacies or by mere whiEi and caprice.
and sometimes by the frivolous ana child
ish expectation of belonging 10 the win
ming side; and many others. mcaper and
more dangerous than all the lest. &C
quire party membership with the DELHI
crate intention of securing Une7rred in
! tages.
To the extent that such elements are
| found within the lines of any party, il
| falls to express the desires and aspira-
| tons Of patriotic citizenship and becomes
menace TO the underlying principle OF
our popular rule. 1t is because these Gle
ments are so prevalent I'm parties. and ap-
parently increasing. that il is more than
over necessary that tho class of sober and
patriotic voters who join political parties
| for the purpose of promoting their COun-
try's veal should be increased and IN
every way strengthened. 1t is in this
manner only that selfishness and flip
/ pant heediessness Of the public good can
be checked within parties and rashness
and excess in party counsets be defeated.
Why I Chose the Democratic Party.
I suppose a slight resemblance between
| some OF the incndents of the pendinc
| presidential campaign and those Of 1896
causes re TO recall The choice ] then
made of my party affiliation. Though 7
was still under voting age, the surround
lhEs OF the canvass so impressed me and
so stimulated my interest fin the principles
and conditions involved that nv thoughts
and investigation led me to 4 distinct and
| lasting party preference. In that cam
paign the Republican party-newIy ar
] rived IN the field of presidential political
Warfare-had appealed to the peoples rO-
mantle sentiment and love for the spec
tacular by the nomination OF John G. Ere
! mont for president. while on the other
hand the Democratic party challenged the
sober and conservative thought of the
country by the nomination Of the mature
undramatic and experienced Buchanan.
1t may well be that my natural ten
dency toward conservatism at a time
when our country seemed to need GOODNESS
ana steadness led me more easily 10 a
reception of Democratic doctrine and
methods; but IL is certain that my choice
| Of party then made was so deliberately
reached and so well thought out that
/ genuine Democracy has always since been
sufficient for me. Today I am more at
tached to my party than ever. I do not
say that I believe the party organization
has in all things and at all times been
true to Democratic principles, or that II
has never entered upon foolish paths of
apparent expediency or downright error:
/ but il cannot be said that il has ever at
tempted to deceive the people as to its
purposes or has ever deliberately intend
ed 70 betray their interests.
Strength of Genuine Democracy.
7 am more certain today than ever that
the principles Of genuine Democracy
which the party now announces are near
10 the peoples wants. and that they arc
suited 10 every emergency of American
life. They are so easily understood by
the party's rank and file that the leader
ship that ObScuTes them or SubOrdinatos
them TO new and unfamiliar doctrine will
always fail Of a united and effective fol-
lowing Whatever success other parties
may have gained by shifty devices or by
trimming their sails TO every passing
( breeze. never In all the life of Democracy
mas II achieved a victory except by
bold and outspoken adherence to its old
beliefs and an honest advocacy of its
distinctive principles.
/ am attached TO my party for the fur
Their reason that il has an enduring per-
manencY that withstands all attack uDon
Its life from open cnemieS-and also has
within its membership an element of con-
sentative steadfastness which restores it
10 strength and courage even though 1t
may violate the laws of Democratic
health. No better proof OF this could
possibly be furnished than is afforded
by the present situation of the party.
From a condition of weakness and de-
mOraliZatiOn IL has recovered its Old-time
aggressiveness and SturdineSS through the
reeuperative ministratiOns of its conserv-
atism. It presents again to the voters of
the land a declaration of clear Demo-
cratic faith and candidate who embodieS
Democratic devotion and fidelity. Ii OPP