New-York tribune., 1905-02-27
DrrocR4Tic REoRGANlz4TIoN.

In ''The Alta ptic Monthly" for February
Mr. Edward Stailw. cd discusses what he calls
the Democratic predcament." The Demo
cratic party. he holds, if it wants to I've as
party, must find itself It must abandon its
futile efforts to be all things to ali men 1t
mus quit trying tot pose one year as safe and
sane and another year as blindly and fercely
radical A choice Ihust be made between raGi-
caiism and conserv. .atism; and last November's
verdict has made that choice an easy and
natural one. Says Mr.. Stanwood:
That cannot be a strong party in which both
Mr.. Cleveland and NJ :. Bryan are leaders of fac
tions ii be strong if either Of them is
tituar leader and he other noTninany fol-
lower. Il is merely the expression Of an Opin-
ion which can be neither verified nor refuted,
that at present Mr., Bryan reflects the political
sentiment of by far the more numerous wing OF
the party. Assurnin:t that to be the fact, the
logical consequence or the existing situation Is
that those who form that wing should and will
take permanent control Of the organization. In
asmuch az they would be hampered in the
future, they have been In the past by men
who call themselves Democrats. but who have
sympathy with the forward policy, they
should enter upon their course with such
clear and Cnmistakable statements of their pur-
poses as to compel the withdrawal from the
party Of those who are with il, but not Of It.
These are in no sense novel ideas The Trib-
me has commented time and again on the folly
of the Democratic reorganization programme
Of 1904 We have held that the Democratic
return TO sanity"-preached so vigorously by
Mr.. Cleveland and other Eastern leaders-was
q political and logical impOssibilIty. We have
insisted that In spirit and tendency the Demo
cratic party is now unalterably radical and
that the safety and sanity crusade Of 1908
and 1904 was bOttOmed on gross misconceptions
of political conditions and popular sentiment.
Long before Judge Parker was nominated we
declared that his candidacy was based on false
pretences and false premises and that 1t was
foredOomed to failure.
1t is easier to see now that Mr.. Cleveland
Mr. Hill and the Southern managers who made
Judge Parker's nomination possible were abso
lutely self-deluded when they assumed that the
Democratic party could be recalled to "cOn-
servative' ideals. We scarcely think Mr.. STAN
wood goes far enough when he says that cit is
merely an expression of opinion. which can
'be neither verified refuted, that at pres
cent Mr. Bryan reflects the political sentiment
"of by far the more numerous wing of the
party" Mr. Bryan has already taken Up the
party reins, and the attitude of the Democrats
IN Congress shows he Is again the undisputed
Democratic leader. All signs point indeed to
an Increase Of radicalism In the Democratic
programmes Of the near future. Only the South
holds back, and for reasons Of its own pleads
loyalty u certain conservative ideals which il
still finds useful. But If the party Is to be
force again in politics, ii must-as Mr.. Stan
wood justly Says-be purged Of the influences
which thwart its natural development 1t must
cast ont the so-called conservatives" who are
lin II but not of IT," and who invoke It's tradi
tons and use ifs name for wholly uIterior pur
poses And this purgation promises to be one
OF the political processes most worth noting in
the next four years.