Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-03
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4 POLITICAL


What a Party Is For
Those who undertake TO make party
operations a mere clash of personal
likes and dislikeS, ambitions and jeaI-
ousies, lose sight entirely of the larger
facts in the domain of politics. Natural
leaders arise whose exceptional useful
ness to the principles Of party give
them. us long as they are true to the
right standard, an extensive following
and influence, but the notion that any
great party is 10 be swayed by personal
squabbling is ridiculous. A party may
be injured by an indulgence of such
foolishness, but thereby loses sight Of
its mission and opportunities. The
number Of voters in this country is be-
coming so vast that their Judgment
must be reached by clearly defined
aims in public policies, and the feudal
political chieftain and his clan have
ceased to be of much consequence in
his favorite role of disturber. Some of
the states have more than a million
voters, and it is vain to attempt to lead
them here and there by small, egotis-
teal quarrels they have no desire nor
time to think about. 1t is only by ma
chine politics, the game of getting
nominations far removed from the peo-
pie, that the squabblers find it worth
while to pursue their spitework.
An electorate of 100000 in the
country. with a correspondingIy large
distribution Of voters in the states must
be appealed to by responsible parties
on issues that deserve, and often COM
pei, general consideration. Such ques-
tons may arise quickly and under I'M
expected circumstances. 1t was so in
the summer of 1896. The Democratic
party had been overwhelmed by defeat
in the preceding two years and its
prospects were at the lowest ebb. But
by adopting a new issue and choosing
as q leader man who, nationally
speaking, had been unknown, and who
even gained entrance to the convention
in a contested delegation, the party
made one of the greatest fights in its
history, polling immensely its largest
vote. Nothing short of a phenOmenally
big vote on the other side averted the
success of that surprisingly sudden
change of front in the situation. As
the country grows, such developments
in politics must occur frequently. They
will call for able party action and
united effort. 1t is idle to guess what
shape the next national Democratic
campaign will take. The drift of things
will be indicated in some degree when
the next state and congressional plat
forms are put in the field yet the main
strategy and tactics Of 1908 may not
mGterialize any sooner before the cleo
ton than in 1896.
Since it is manifest that important
duties are ahead, the policy of squabble
looks silly, indeed. The political du-
ties of this year are by no means light,
and especially is this true In Missouri.
which has new and valuable position
to retain. Several state officers and a
legislature are to b chosen, with six
should be close, Missouri might turn
the scale. At all events, the country
will learn next fall whether this State
wishes to stay politically in the com
pany of New York. Pennsylvania. ILL
nOis and Ohio, or to revert to that of
South Carolina and Mississippi. The
decision will have wide significance.
/ will govern the estimate of the state
in national opinion. These are the es-
sential points to be kept in mind. How
can any one fancy that personal wran-
Cling in party proceedings is other than
detrimental to its interests and abso-
lutely blind to its true objects? The
squabblers put mark on themselves
that all earnest Republicans can see
and comprehend.-St Louis Globe
Democrat.