The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-04-07

- II
the convictions of their interests
and the policy Of their commercial
environments. They are making
politics a thing Of practical per-
sonal application. and are not
disposed to view it either from
the standpoint of pure patriotism
or Of traditional craftsmanship.
And we resoutely maintain
that these are the men who are
drifting Democracy from its
moorings and are essentially OBJ
structive to the success Of the
Democratic party In coming TO
its own.
To this extent let US recognize
our party disadvantage: That
the number and influence Of the
minoritity element of the Demo-
cratic party has heretofore con-
trolled the public expressions and
actions of the Democratic party,
and this. in our judgment. against
the will and preference Of the
people. Also that these men
themselves are held in the party,
not because they believe in 1t,
but because those Of them who
live i'm the South still entertain
the view that they cannot afford
to divide upon political lines and
leave the negro as a possible bal
ance Of power.
SO. there you'll have the dilemma
and the predicament Of the Dem
ocratic party in that section of
the country, whose votes are
always recorded for its platforms
and candidates, and whose sup
port of the party is absolutely
indispensable to its success.
Now the question is, What is
the remedy for this lamentable
condition of affairs?
So far as heSouth is concerned,
we have had in our political
machinery for the past few years
an agency which clearly permits
division upon political convictions
without injury to the great ques-
ton of white supremacy which
holds that section in its grasp.
The white primary is the last
bulwark of free thought in the
, South. 1t is the last citadel Of
political liberty to the people Of
that Democratic section Of the
country.
With this refuge, it is not nee
assary that the South should lie
Down any longer in the presence
Of the negro and let politics go
awry and principle 90 hang be-
cause of this sombre and shaaowy
balance Of power" which hOvers
about us. Ii we cannot divide
nto two parties, we can at least
light out our divergent convlc-
tons fearlessly in the ranks Of
our own party, and submit freely
to this tribunal the arbitrament
Of the differences which divide
.he old Democracy of Thomas
jefferson from the new demo
,racy of August Belmont.
In my judgment, the Demo
ratio party cannot and Will not
ulfill its mission and control the
government until the ajorty
Democracy either eliminates or
dominates the minority Demo
.racv. How this desirable result
to be accomplished Is the pro
blem set for the wisdom and
courage of those who stand with
and for the repressed majority.
If this can be accomplished by
keeping these Republican Demo-
Gratis inside the ranks of the party
and subordinating them and their
ultra-conservative creeds of pn-
Wlege and protection to the views
of the real majority 1t IS all right
n or it may be all right IN the
end.
But let us be honest about it,
and let US put honest and genuine
Democrats to the front. Let the
people whose interests is vital in
these matters vote and talk this
year as they never voted and
talked before.
Let the people challenge the
platforms and the candidates that
are presented to them, for the
passwords Of principle and sound
policy. Let the things in which
the people believe be the things
on which the people will have a
chance 10 vote.
And if any of our ultra con
servatives Of privilege" are dis
satisfied with the platform or the
candidate Of the people, let them
90 with protest, a hindrance to
the party to which they belong.
For every such deserter from
the Democratic rank there Will
be a hundred recruits from the
camp which Roosevelt and read