The Irish standard., 1905-02-11
ABSORBING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

ABSORBING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
The Saint Paul Globe, through a
recent editorial entitled "Shall the
Democratic Party be Absorbed?" has
started discussion of considerable in
terest. This editorial, it seems, has
been brought to the attention of the
national leaders of the Democratic
Party, and has drawn from them
answers by way of letters directed to
that paper. The editorial was APP
parently suggested by the attitude Of
The Democratic leaders in Congress
toward President Roosevelt and his
policy and more particularly the at
titude of the Democratic members of
Congress toward the Presidents views
on railroad rate regulation and on the
Panama Canal. The Globe editorial
challenged the wisdom and criticized
the leadership of the Democratic Party
in Congress, holding to the fact that
an Endorsement of President Roose-
vclt's attitude of these questions was
un-DemOcratic and an abandonment of
Democratic policies. The Globe assert
ed that the Democratic Party was
being absorbed by the Republican
Party. The Democratic leaders,
among them John Sharpe Williams, in
a kindly spirit have taken issue with
the Globe, and we think rightly
Can it be said that the Democratic
Party is about to he absorbed by the
Republican Party because the man
who now happens to be President of
the United States by Republican votes
has deserted his party on several I'M
portant questions and taken Democra-
tic ground? We think not. Surely
it is not the province of the great
party whose history synchronizes with
that of the Republic, to be continually
an opposition party. What kind Of
politics would it be for the Democratic
members Of Congress to oppose rail-
road rate regulation simply because
it is advocated and supported by
President Roosevelt, whereas it has
been doctrine of the Democratic
Party for years that quasi-public cor
pnrations engaged in the transport
ation business and which have en-
joycd great privileges from the public
should be III an especial manner
sub Get to the regulation of the gov
ernment? Would the Globe have the
Democratic members of Congress
abandon their position simply because
{ President Roosevelt chooses to come
around to their view and advocate
what they have been advocating?
| There are hundreds of thou
| sands of voters in this coun
try who are, in principle and
from their standing and position in
life, naturally Democratic but who
have become numerically tired of
| the policy of the Democratic Party
in simply continuing to be a party of
negation. Why should true Demo-
GRAFT abandon true Democratic prin-
ciples simply because Theodore Roose-
Welt, who calls himself Republican,
is, for the time being at least, support
ing Democratic doctrines? If the
Democratic Party is to live, and we
believe it is, it is because that party
has duty to perform and a place
to fill in the political life Of this
country. Can that party perform that
duty by abandoning position as soon
as some other party takes it up? We
are not among those who believe that
every policy, advocated by different
Republican leaders at different times
is bad, and particularly we do not
believe that the mere advocacy of a
principal that has been for years Dem.
ocratic, by a Republican president
does ev-instanti render that principle
vicious. For our own part we thinl,
that the Democratic Party, in the last
two sessions, has shown more reaI
ability and a more earnest endeavol
to render the country good public
service than has been the case fol
many years. The time has gone by
in politics when party names ant
lsymbols are simply emblems around
which to attract voters for the pur
{pose Of giving this set or that set Of
men public Office. The only politica
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