The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-05-24
OUTLOOK FOR DEMOCRACY.

The county is safe and is likely to
continue safe so long as a democratic
ticket can be elected once in while, in
the opinion of the st. Louis Republic.
The chances are that the democrats
will carry the the elections of this year
and capture the presidency in 1908, in
which events the country will eXperince
a fresh access of confidence in itself
and feel very much as an ailimg person
does who learns from the doctor that he
is in fair way to vigorous health.
A recourse to democracy from time
to time is the only absolute guaranty
of self-government in the United States.
1t is smashing up of machine powder;
it is taking of government back into
the peoples hand, return of government
of, by and for the people.
To prolong beyond 1906 the control Of
the republican machine powers which
are close par nership with monopolistic
interest would be the most gigantic
political folly in American history, Civ
ing the country into the hands of the
very enemy against whom state reforms
have been designed; virtually setting at
naught popular desire for better and
more representative government which
has been so vehemently voiced; putting
it out of the peoples power to correct
abuses four years more, and by the
postponement making it the more diff
cult to take back government into their
hands at the end of that time. re-
publican victory in 1908 would go long
way toward the perpetuation Of govern
ment by the close political corporation
whose tendency is to arrogate to itself
the attributes of an aristocracy and to
subvert the republic.
Most people realize the danger of con-
tinuing it in power; a broad realization
which is the most potent political factor
Of the time, and will probably determine
a democratic victory. The democratic
party has only to offer an attractive
alternative to carry the country
which is to say, it must justify con-
fidence by it's integrity, it's common
sense, and manifesting genuine pur-
pose to govern the country decently
with due regard TO every legitimate
interest, while rectifying those evils
which by common consent ought to be
rectifed. The democratic party needs
no fads Or frills for it's presidential fight;
it is not required to make sensational
campaign to win. The democracy has
only to be itself and to meet the people
and the issues frankly. 1t should adj
dress itself, not to passion and pre-
judice, but to conviction. The country
turning naturally to the democratic
party; the party must not rebuff the
natural tendency.
That the country is undergoing an
epochal political change is not more
manifest than that the change is toward
democracy-truth signally illustrated
by the effort of certain radical" repub
licans, led by President Roosevelt, tc
re-adjust Their party and give it the
semblance of peoples party; which
effort only serves to emphasize the fact
that the democracy is the only true
party of the people and the only vehicle
for the expression of popular will. The
epochal change is nothing more nor less
then reversion to fundamental prin.
ciples of representative government
of which the democracy is the essential
embodiment; and it it therefore the
traditional, essential and Fundamental
character of the party which should be
paign. The basic principle of govern
ment of by and for the people, of equa
rights to all and specially the tariff
| piluClplS, SHOulu US lOiC1UlJ presented
"a recourse to these principles solves
the great problems of national life
which now press for solution.
The tariff principle is of the essence
of democracy; it is one of the grea,
constants, as opposed to the variants
which go to make up the body of doc
trine, the essence, the thing called
democracy. And upon the proposition
that the tariff must be revised anc
many schedules lowered, which is con
sistent with basic democratic demands
there is probably wider and more def
mite consensus of national opinion thar
upon any other one demand; while it is
that particular demand which the re
publican party has the most definitely
and positively opposed. In word the
tariff issue is the issue most plainly
defined between the parties, and the
issue upon which public opinion is con
spicuously ranged, and ranged one way
1t follows that the democratic party
must be the beneficiary of tariff agita
ton: that there cannot be too much
agitation of that question.
Let the democratic party make the
campaign upon it's typical elementa
principles, let us nominate man o
stature who can be trusted for both in
tegrity and brains, and 1908 should wit
ness democratic landslide quite equal
| inp tho roma nix q hla ravarsa Of 1Qn1