Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-08-31
HOPE FOR DEMOCRATS
Theii Policies Have Been
Brought to the Front.
CORRUPTION PREVAILS IN G.. O, P.

Can the PRESIDENT Reform His Party,
or Will the Sheep Have TO Separate
From the Goatsf-Th Protected
Monopolies Control the
Party and Thus Prevent Reforms.
Everything tends to encourage Dem
ocrats that the time is ripe for the re-
forms they stand for. The corruption
and graft in all departments of the
government demand a change of adj
ministration, for experience proves that
no party has been able to cleanse it's
own skirts. President Roosevelt may
90 all he can, but corruption is too
deep rooted in his party for him to be
able to accomplish such a task. Here
and there he may succeed in stopping
corruption in places where it has been
forced into the light, only to find that
still other exposures show the canker
still exists. Every case Of corruption
exposed has been through a disagree
ment among the thieves and not
through official investigation. On all
sides he is surrounded by Republican
leaders who are interested in monopoly.
The tariff barons and the railroad mag
mates have their spokesman in both
houses of congress, and eve the presi-
dents cabinet is not clear Of them. The
minor officials and clerks of the gov
eminent see graft in high places, and
very naturally ONE Of them have come
to believe that as opportunity offers
they should make the most of it.
This graft era can only be overcome
by the people changing the party in
control from time to time, for long
lease of power has ever bred extrava-
gance, corruption and footing Of the
treasury by favored interests. How
powerless even the president is to over
come this corrupt disposition of his
party is shown by his surrendering to
the demands of the leaders on his ex-
pressed determination Of calling con
gress together at an early date, which
he has now been obliged to postpone
until within three weeks of the regular
time of meeting. He may recommend
to congress that it reform the tariff,
that it give power to the interstate
commerce commission to regulate IN
reasonable railroad rates, that it ratify
reciprocity treaties with foreign coun-
tries, that it reduce the Philippine tar
if, that it pass the necessary legisla-
ton to curb the trusts, but his words
will be as the idle winds to the cor
poration controlled congress he has to
deal with. Similar recommendations
by the president to the two last con
crosses were u%nheeded by the Repub-
lican leaders.
1t is encouraging to Democrats that
all these reforms mentioned are the
policies that have been Endorsed by
the Democracy in its platforms or
has been the expressed policy Of the
Democratic members of congress-. The
Republican leaders point to this-se-
cretly, at least-as sufficient reason
why they should not adopt such poll
cies, and the tariff beneficiaries, the
trusts and the railroad corporations, are
busy in backing up the position Of the
Republican leaders. They talk Of the
president as a trouble breeder and
are prepared to spend millions to de
feat the legislation mentioned.
Will President Roosevelt stick to his
determination to stand by the people,
or will his s~trenuousness vanish before
the avowed purpose of many of the Re,
publican leaders to stand pat-that is:
do nothing Of consequence to hurt their
friends, the corporations?
If President Roosevelt is determined
enough to force his policy upon his
party he will have a large following,
but such a course might split the Re,
publican party and lead to the election
of a Democratic house Of representa-
ttves next year and a Democratic pres.
ident in 1908.
One of two things must happened.
Their the Republican party must be
cleansed of grafters and give the PEG.
pie the reforms they desire or the vot.
ers will turn the raScals out.