Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-09-01
Let Us Clip the Wings.

Let Us ( lip the Wings.
Ina reported interview with Senator
Geo. Turner, III Portland, the other
day, he is quoted as saying that the
great problem for the Democratic or.
ganizatiou j., Glow to unite the two
wings Of the ,,a-tys With all Geiter.
ence to the learned Judge, we think the
grain on that part of the barn-iioor has
been threshed to a finish. When the
gold-hugs seeded from the party in
l>96, il was virtual surrender for all
time, and a separate ticket was put up
simply As foil TO their true purpose.
The Republican majority, small as it
wac, showed where their votes were cast
A few openly avowed their purpose of
acting with the Republican party, and
quite number received political pre-
ferment as a reward for their pertidy.
Still the old party was charitable.
1t four years later welcomed the bolt
ers Ia its national convention, and the
result Of the election showed just
where the Palmer Buckner vote was
again cast, and that the same radical
element OF the party, constituting the
balance of power, had again occupied
tents Of the enemy during the CAM
paign. Could it be expected that any
party-with human nature as it exists
could forgive or condone these acts
which brought defeat, when the same
discordant element had entered the
National Convention OF 1900 by stealth
and foisted upon the party platform
and candidate that were a complete
qualification of its former history? Is
human nature so sublimated and re-.
fined that it may influence the hand
to cast the ballot which the brain has
declared to DO qualification OF prin.
ciple and violation of the pledges
made the masses who had 80 long and
so consistently stood for what they
believed to be honest, and fair, and
just and true?
The action of the conspirators in
the st. Louis convention was 80 cold.
blooded, in view OF the fact that they
had twice defeated their party, and
indeed so presumptuous was their ap'
pearance in Democratic convention
at all, party they had 50 unmerci
fully knitted, that it is not surprising
the rank and file repudiated the work
OF traitors, and especially when the
Republicans had been compelled BY
unforeseen circumstances to nominate
man who represented more truly ant
fully the principles they held deal
than their own candidate and the plat
form he was allowed to modify after i,
had been adopted by the convention.
1t was, as has been shown, steadfasl
devotion to principle, At the cost o.
party forms, that impelled many Dem
ocrats to vote Tor Roosevelt in 1904
and to increase the Republican total
in this State from 81, 456 for Mckinley
in 1900, to 100,69S for Roosevelt, in
1904. and to decrease the Democratic
vote from 1883 for Bryan to 2S,O1s
for Parker at the same general cleo
lions. The plurality for Roosevelt, in
this State, was 1858, and for Mead
only 1907; the relative popularity
being solely due to the fact that Roose-
welt represented some principles that
were dear to all Democrats, and Mead
was q simon-pure Republican, while
his opponent was the nominee of q
party that was opposed to plutocratic
rule.
It really seems that the old.time in.
junction for union OF party on princi.
pie would favor independence rather
than fealty to the form Of party when
its essentially distinctive tsnets have
been wrested from it. What is there
to unite upon? The party has been,
the past generation, without patronage
to dispense, the cohesive power of
public PLUMBER" as it was once called,
to unite, and party discipline can only
be maintained without it, by clearly
cut, plainly avowed principles. and q
fidelity to party usage based upon a
discipline that accords due reward and
punishment. No party can succeed
by ignoring the hayward acts of lead.
ers, however powerful they may have
been, or by condoning treachery, or
making leadership of the once potent
factor in party manipulation consid.
GRAFTON for reinstatement. Fortunate.
ly the unit of citizenship, tho individ.
ual, is seldom if ever deceived by con.
vention manipulators, and his vote
at the ballot.box is cast in accordance
with his estimate OF the changelings
that may be foisted upon his ticket.
Il is safe 10 say there will be nc
more sacrifice of principle to "unite
the two wings of the party" Right On
will be the watchword, and no com.
promise of principle the rule that will
control the next convention.
The President has placed an abso.
Lutte veto on the proposition for Alice
his daughter, accepting the invitation
of the Dowager Empress of China, to
visit her domains. The misrule in
that nation, the bitter feeling among
portion of her people against the
United States, and the noxious repu-
tation OF the Empress in the outer
world where she is held responsible for