Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-04-27
DEMOCRACY AND CRITICS.
Careless and Chattering Prophets and
Their Short-Sighted
Prattle.

er wear away tne everlasting nils De-
meath. The critics of the American
democracy at this moment seem to
bear about the same relation to that
eternal institution as the little frivo-
ling, fluffy creatures to the undimin-
ished sod, and to leave about the same
impress, says the st. Louis Republic.
1t has become quite the fashion Of
late with a number of careless and
chattering editors, prophets, critics,
humorists, orators, pamphleteers, poll
teal seers and others adversely, if not
perversely, inclined, to point to the al
legged impending dissolution of democ-
racy, together with the wreck of all its
principles and precepts; and the vol
ume of gleeful prediction that the old
party is about to breathe its last re-
sembles nothing so much as the crack
ling of thorns under a pot. The tribe
are indeed treading lightly, and if de-
mocracy is never held under foot by
any heavier opposition it need not so
much as sigh with apprehension. Not
one of the number since they began to
utter their notions has got above ca
Wiling or carping to a dignity, sober
though or penetrating criticism deserv-
ing consideration.
Shortly after the November election
the talk led off with an editorial ex-
preston from New York to the effect
that democracy had degenerated into a
mere name and the habit of several
millions Of people of voting the ticket;
that the party represented nothing,
la suffered its ma~instaying principles
to become hollow traditions, was but a
thin structure of insincerities, and that
its duration of life depended solely up
on the peoples persistence in their
foolish habit, from which a growing
perception must speedily redeem them.
Upon this assertion, coming plausibly
from a mouthpiece of democratic pre-
tension, most of the later expressions
have been modelled. None of them has
gone any deeper, exhibited any more
analysis or inquired more seriously in
to the essential stuff of which the
American people and their Oldest polit-
zeal institution are composed. They
have all contented themselves with the
mere facetious prophecy that democra-
cy was about to die, and the sole eZ-
PLANTATION they offer is that it has been
defeated.
With the death of democracy their
prophecy abruptly stops. Suffice it that
it will die. Nobody undertakes to say
what will happen then. After that, we
might Infer, there will be chaos and
the fireworks. or, what is not more
unreasonable, a comprehensive repub-
lican party embracing all the voters
in a fine Utopian unanimity. So much
for their chatter.
The probability, which a good many
reasonable persons acknowledge, is
that the democratic party will win
next time. Practical politicians forti-
fed by acquaintance with the peoples
history see in present conditions a pc.
tential revolt against the narrowly cir
cumscribed sphere of practical control
of the republican machinery, which re-
volt strongly promises to become an
onstorming and overpowering rebellion
essentially and inevitably democratic.
Republican politicians will privately
admit the force of the probability, in
the light of the gathering restriction
of practical control of their party ma
chinery and of the countrywide con.
ditions conducting to a popular protest
which a find no effective vehicle
save in democracy.
But. aside from this consideration
which has to do only with immediate
and surface indications. the fundamen.
tai nature of democracy is a guaranty
Of its endurance despite repeated re.
verses and of its final dominance of the
nations political character. The dem.
ticket has been defeated three
times and may and will likely be de.
feated again, whether at the next cleo.
ton or on succeeding occasions, but
nothing so long as the nation itself
survives can still or suppress the
american peoples protest against I'm.
American power. Elementally the dem.
party is that protest. In one
form or another it will always embody
protest and balance the i~niuuit.
GUS power. 1t offers and will peren.
nlally offer the mean by which the
people can answer overreaching power
in whatever hands; and it's exercise
VIII correspond with a pendulum-like
regularity to the swing of that power.
Whether handling the reins of govern.
ment or not, democracy will constitute
check. Out Of power it has on mem
orable occasions proved none the less
restraining and beneficial, frequently
compelling the republican party to
adopt its issues and veer straight about
administration. Its operation is
broader than the mere direction of of.
nee functions, just as its principles are
deeper than any current political is.
sues, discussions, ideas or theories.
Ind 1T will require a force to overthrow
he government itself strong enough
TO destroy democracy. Democracy
stands for and expresses the spirit
which underlies the constitution itself
In the final analysis it is the essence
md principle of individual n equal
government. 1t is the absolute and
deal expression of the theory of equal
rights, the last word-the hi.
man concept nearest annroachipo a,