The independent., 1904-11-10
Elections Lesson


plain. common people. The Commoner has for
two years pointed out The futilty of any attempt
to compromise with wrong or to patch up peace
with the great corporations which are now ex-
plotting the public. but the southern democrats
were SO alarmed by the race issne that they lis
tened rather reluctantly be it said to their credit,
to the promises of success held out by those who
had contributed to the defeat of the party in the
two preceding campaigns. The experiment has
been a costly one. and it is not likely to be re-
peated during the present generation. The eastern
democrats were also deceived They led to
believe that the magnates and monopolists who
ccerced the voters in 1896 and supplied enor-
nous campaign fund in both 1896 and 1900 would
help the democratic party if our party would only
be less radical The corporation press aided in
this deception, and the republican papers pro-
fessed an unselfish desire to help build up the
democratic party. The election has opened the
eyes of the hundreds CT thousands OF homes. and
well-meaning democrats who few months ago
favored the reorganization of the party These
men now see that they must either 60 into the
republican party or join with the democrats OF
the west and south in making the democratic party
positive. aggressive and progressive reform or
ganizaiisu- ssSsaera Is no middle ground.
Mr. Bryan did what he acouid y ssscrt. the
reorganization Of the democratic party; when he
failed in this he did what he could to aid Parker
and Davis in order to secure such reforms-and
there we're some wal promised by their
election. ow that the campaign is over ne Will
both through The Commoner and by personal eff
fort assist those who desire to put the democratic
army once more rpon fighting basis; he Will
assist in organizing for the campaign OF 1908. y
does not matter much who the nominee may
be. During the next three years circumstance
may bring into the arena some man especially
fitted to carry the standard. 1t will be time enough
to discuss candidate when we are near enough
to the campaign to measure the relative avail
ability OF those worthy to be considered. but we
ought to begin now to lay our plans for the next
national campaign and to form the line Of battle.
The party must continue to protest against
large army and against large navy, and to stand
for the Independence of the Filipinos for imper-
ialism adds the menace of militarism to the cor
rupting influence of commerciasm. and yet ex-
perience shows that however righteous the partys
position on this subject the issue does not arouse
the people as they are aroused by question which
touches thell Immediately and individually. The
Injustice done to the riliDinos is not resented as
stsshassld- be or as resent wrong to ourselves,
and the costness of ;ssz orieiismu hidden by the
statistics and by our indirect system OF taAdtfoasa
While the party must maintain its position on
this subject, it can not present lis the only
issue.
The party must also maintain its position on
the tariff question. No answer Las been made to
the democratic indictment against the high tar
iff and vet here too the burden of the tariff sys
tenn is concealed by the method in which the tax
is collected 1t can not be made the sole issue
in campaign
The party must its demand for an -
come tax to be secured through constitutional
amendment, in order that wealth may be made to
pay it's share of the expenses of the government.
Today we are collecting practically all of our sd
eral revenue from taxes upon consumption, and
these bear heaviest upon the poor and light upon
the rich
The party must maintain it's position in favor
of bimetalism 1t can not surrender Its demand
for the use of both gold and silver as the standard
money of the country. but the question must re-
main in allegiance until conditions so change as
to bring the public again face to face with falling
prices and rising dollar. This therefore, can not
be made the controlling issue of the contest upon
which we are entering.
The trust question presents the most acute
phase of the contest between democracy and plu-