The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-09
THEY STOLE ouR pnrvCrpLEs.

|
 THEY STOLE OUR PRINCIPLES.
 The Indianapolis Morning Star, one of our bright Republican contempora- ries, has an editorial under the head Ing, Debtor and Creditor" from which we extract the following:
 The breiny men of the Democratic Party always saw the truth about de- based currency. In 1891, when Grover Cleveland was endeavoring to protect was denouncing him for discriminat- ing against silver. When Republican politicians were coquetting with cheap money fallacies, Democrats like Bay mour were standing up faithfully for honest money. The only sound plat form on currency We had in 1896, and perhaps since, was the one on which Palmer and Buckner ran for the Pres idency.
 The brainy men of the Democratic Party have always contended for tariff reform. In these columns the other day we quoted Mills In 1888 almost word for word for Mckinley at Buffalo in 1901. The tarin reform sentiment in the Republican Party today, which is likely to be given expression in law by the Fifty-ninth Congress, is on the lines advocated by Democratic states
 The brainy men of the Democratic Party have always stood for due and necessary regulation of railroad mo- nopoly. In 1896 and 1900. the Repub- lioan platforms were silent on railroad legislation, but the Democrats were not.
 We are not esurpriscd to find The Star asking How do the Democrats of the country relish the fact that while hnE ~Nn or. lrv, what was right and what ought to be done. it has been necessary for the Republican Party to be given control of the Government in order to bring those things to pass?' We can reply te The Star query by saying that the old-fashioned Democrats do not like it at all The best men of the party were right and sound on the financial question and the Republican leaders were not. A dozen years ago the gem falIacy and the danger of the free silver craze, but they were powerless to stop it. Men like Cleveland knew that it was unsafe and undemocratic, danger ous to the party and to the country, but what could they. do? Their coun- sells were not followed, their advice was unheeded, and all they got for their devotion to true Democracy and to the best interests of the country was the bitter opposition of the new-light Dem future of Democracy and the welfare of the country had been committed. to them for safe keeping. As The Star says, the brainy men of the Demo- cratic Party always saw the truth" and they would have kept the party straight if they had been able. Even as a matter of pohcy, those Democrats were right, for if all had followed men Ike Cleveland they would have put the Republicans not only in opposition, but in the wrong. The Democrats of the country never had a better opportunity to win by adhering to the right than they did in 1896, and brilliant oppor- tunity was never more idiotically thrown away.
 And The Star is equally correct in VI hat 1t says about the tariff. If the Republicans should finally be forced to revise the present tarlff and remove some of It's gross inequalities they will simply be carrying out the settled poll icy of the Democratic Party for years. They will be in debt to our party for any reforms of that instrument which is now so unfair and unjust. Ours iS and has been opposed to such a pro- tective system as we are now living under, and whatever the Republicans may do in the way of reform will be a compliment to Democrats. It is not source of pleasurable contemplation for Democrats when they reflect that the Republicans are nows enjoying the fruits of victory won by taking over the true principles of Democracy which had been abandone by the apostles of new dispensatioL The genuine old Democrats can only look on with grim satisfaction at a result which they foresaw and fought against but could not prevent.