The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-06

estinR and concerning the whole people
there has been no great difficulty In work
ing such institutions IN this way, often
with much waste OF power, blu with sta
blllty and satisfaction TO the people ~
whole.
THE CONSERVATIVES.
Study of our politioai history showI
deep in the mental character and habit oil
the people. There are those who are by
character and habit conservative. II the
times are good they oppose change ano
innovation lest harm result to such happy
conditions. II times are bad they equally
oppos changes lest We shouid go from
bad to worse. Age belongs naturally Ia
this group, for it is more impressed by the
misfortunes and defeats Of life than oheered
by visions and hope Of betterment. Then,
too, experience has taught IL that the best
thought out schemes often work very diff
ferently from what was anticipated, and q
lack Of surplus energy makes irksome new
habits OF thought and accommodation TO
new conditions.
Capital and vested interests, even among
80 enterprtsing a people az our own. find
themselves normally grouped with the
conservatives They are adjusted TO things
"a they are. They n how easily conf
dence Is shaken; how, without adequsts
reason, panics with their accompanying
industrial depression may be induced, and
they most emphatically would rather bear
those ills' they have than ny 70 others that
they know not Of Their present gain is
reasonably certain-change brings uncer-
tainty.
The value Of the. conservative, great
in any form Of government among civilized
people, IL especially great where We have
democratic institutions based upon universal
manhood suffrage. Who would want a
clock without a pendulum. or to run q steam
engine without a governor! How i'm
possible, however, would human progress
be il the conservative was overwhelmingly
preponderant.
Valuable as the pendulum is, It does not
make the clock go. However cleverly de-
signed to regulate, the governor in an
engine Is only valuable in controlling the
power from the boiler. Ever against the
conservative is found the liberal. To him
hard times are the best reason for change,
that they may be improved. Fear Of change
from bad to worse impresses him little.
He faces the future with hope, undis-
mayed by the failures Of the past. ever be-
llevin1 h there is 3 way forward and
that it can be found. II times are good.
that gives nc reason for not trying to make
them better. He 10 willing to make the trial
and cunts the danger OF failure as little
compared with the possibility Of success.
He is impatient of the voice OF experience,
~ Az tAA NC oONONOos I'M 10 AAN ~
different from the past that IL should not be
held In bondage to the past.
THE LIBERALS.
With age and its cynicism he will have
nothing to do n gladly givee ii 70 the
conservative, feeling all the stronger with
out It's counsels to inaction. Capital and
vested interests too often seem to him bar
riers TO human progress and TO exalt things
above men. While recognizing their vital
importance, he believes they can be con-
trolled without being destroyed, and made
to serve rather than to rule. In a liberal
party are found the young in spirit, and the
young in years go TO it naturally.
Study OF our political history well illus
trates the truth OF this idea Of two parties
fundamentally determined by mental char
acter and habit inc not by the accidents
OF issues or party platforms.
while the Democratic party has had an
unbroken political life. the Republican
same fundamental character and habit of
mind, has also had practically a continu-
GUS existence since we became a nation.
The Republican party has always been
the party Of the conservative; the party Of
age the party thinking more Of the lessons
Of the past than Of the possibilities Of the
future; the party of capital and vested
interests; the party opposed to change and
innovation; until to-day, half-consoiously,
il voices its character by declaring itself
to be the party Of the 's~tandpatter.' Stand
pat! Have two words ever 80 completely
and adequately embodied the past, present
and future OF a political party? On the
other hand. the Democratic party has been
the party OF the liberal.
WHAT CONSTITUTES DEMOCRACY.
The fundamental mental habit and
character OF it's members has been that OF
hope; of looking forward of trust in the
morals and confidence in the intelligence
of the masses Of the people.
TT has believed in change and innovation,
thinking that ideals were little worth having
unless il dared TO attempt their realization
But while Il had leaders instead Of bosses,
while it had statesmen instead of politicians
il always sought to realize its ideals by the
use Of those means and through those
forms Ivy which we grew from the poorest
and weakest to the richest n strongest
nation OF the world.
1T Is only recently that efforts have
been made 10 drag the party from the path
Of progress into that OF revolution. The
foregoing points out the fundamental ami
din ference between the Republican
and Democratic parties.
sThe difference is not ephemeral and does
not depend upon the adoption Of any politi-
cal issue or body OF r olitic1i doctrine It
rest in a character and habit OF mind which
predetermines party attitude to all issues
as they arise. The truth Of this is not in
validated becausN from time to time those
in control OF the executive machinery OF
the party organization have apparently
it in a way contrary to its real
DUTY TO o PARTY.
.~No group or selfish. time-servInR poll
ticians can make or destroy these parties
lines, for they rest in the nature Of man,
and will continue with substantial identity
under all forms and names until there
a radical change in our institutions.
II, then, the Democratic party Is funda-
mentally the liberal party-f il IL the
party Of progress, but not Of revolution
N IL believes that its ideal can be realized
by the means and through the forms which
in the past served successfully to meet the
emergencies-what Is our duty,
here as Democrats, toward our
First let us consider the purpose Of party
organization. Party organization was Gre
ated or allowed to grow M IN render ef-
the will Of the people In the party. !
After a time small groups Of selfish and
too often corrupt men obtained control Of
the executive machinery Of party orRaniza-
ton and. using Il for their own purposes,
that which was created to be A
into a master. The natural conae-