The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-11-02

, n
The future, OK the Democratic Party
is absolutely involved in the result in
Ohio and Pennsylvania. Unless there
can be some SUCCESSES achieved in those
Republican States the Democratic Par
ty must die sand another party spring
up to take it's place. If by any means,
upon any prttense. upon any plea. Dem
ocrats can be elected to office it will
bring hope and confidence to the mana
gers and induce them to make plans
for the future. T No matter what spe-
cious issue may be raised to get their
man in, after he is In it will be conf
IDENTIFY claimed that he was elected
solely because he was a Democrat, be-
cause the people were weary of the
Republican rule and methods, were op-
posed to Roosevelt and his course, and
were anxious for a change and the di-
rection Of the country upon a policy
entirely different from that which now
prevails. There can be no mistake
about this. 1t Is something that we
have seen occur repeatedly. We have
seen innumerable times Democrats
elected as reformers or upon some mis-
leading local issue who have, the mo-
ment that they were successful, turned
their backs upon all that was urged for
them before the election and become
the rankest Of Democrats. This is the
greatest danger at the coming election
Whatever may be the misconduct and
malfeasance alleged against the Repub-
licans, the Republican Party can be
much more safely trusted to reform
itself and to purge itself of It's I'M
worthy members than can the Demo-
Gratis be trusted to bring about any
real reform in personality or methods.
This is not a matter of mere asser-
ton. 1t is a truism of continuous and
unbroken history. The Republican
Party has frequently, during it's half
century of existence. been badly served
by the men who have used it to get
into power. The exposure of the mis-
deeds Of these men and of their venal
character has invariably come from
within the party and the punishment
has been melted out to them by the
party itself We have seen this re-
Gently illustrated by the revelations of
graft in the Post Office. The leaders
in those transactions and those impli-
Gated with them have all been punished
according to the gravity of their wrong
doing. Several are working out their
sentences at hard labor In the peniten-
tiary; others are waiting the processes
Of the Courts to be sent to join them,
and the less guilty have been forced
out of office. Such a vigorous house.
cleaning as this never occurred in the
Democratic Farty. When it has come
In under the cry of reform it's members
have only regarded this as a permission
to do worse than they alleged their pre-
decessors were doing. To have them
gain power now under these specious
claims for reform would, while bring
ing about no actual reform, no cleans
ing of the official life, introduce into
office worse class of spoilsmen than
are now said to be there, and beside it
would be most serious check to the
cOuntry's present. career of prosperity
1t would brighten everybody with the
probability of some portentous change
which would spell trouble to the coun-
try and shatter the present confidence
every one feels A Democratic success
would. therefore, be far-reaching
man in the country.