The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-05
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public utilities" has catchy sound to many persons. and they suffer them selves misled by 1t into believing that 1t really means something good for the people. It conveys to them the im- pression that If the general govern ment would go into the managing bus mess throughout the country and take to itself the job of controlling and operating all industries In which the people have an interest all would be well and good times would descend on all the people of. all the country
 It Is a great misfortune that such a suggestion should have been injected into the councils of the Democratic party just at this time. for 1t means disappointment dissatisfaction and foregone disaster. There has rarely been a time more favorable for a safe and sane Democracy than the present The years of Republican domination have brought to the country conditions that are absolutely sickening. Favor itIsm in public positions, official mis- management in high places, lax admin istration of the laws intended to pun ish crimes, have all been having high blood sucking trusts prey on the peo- ple without serious efforts to restrain them They are the natural results of continued Republican rule.
 All these evils are patent to tho observent mind, and all of them call loudly for a remedy. The suppression or regulation of the trusts is a dsty which should appeal to Democrats with mighty force a. this time. These cormorants. these teaches have preyed on the people and sucked the blood of the great body cf citizens. And at the back of these evils looms up the Republican protective tariff. standing like a great wall to support and pro- selves because of the opportunities af- forded them by Republican tariff system Conceived in iniluity it has flourished in sin and has been coddled by the party in power.
 T. e was a great work laid out for the Democracy The revision and reg ulation of the tariff and the suppress sion of the trust evil It was task more onerous than the cleaning of the Augean stables, but united~Bemoc- racy would be the Hercules to accom- piish the work. If these two great evils should be put in the front or Democratic duty there would be issue enough to unite and solidify the party and call forth all It's energies. all it's patriotism and all its resources. Dem- ocrats everywhere could harmonize on such issues and work together with the double motive of victory for the party and good for all the country and all the people.
 And now. when the opportunity for real Democratic work of reform is so palpable, and when chances of success are so bright. if the proper policies are adhered to and made the dominant issues of the campaign, it is worse than suicidal to have a serious and Democratic effort made to inject ur- Democratic issues Into the eampaign- issues which are not only wrong and which would prevent harmony and party unifcation but which would de- stroy all hope of party success. Gov ernment ownership is not Democratic doctrine. It Is the offspring of Social ism and extreme Popuiism. The theo- " that the general government should take possession of all or any Of the railroads is as repugnant to real De- mocracy as a high protective tariff. A party which will seriously advocate it as one of the main issues or blanks of it's platform Is not Democratic i1, fact, whatever it may be in name.
 Especially is this doctrine repug- nant to the Democracy of the South. Here we stiu believe ir the rights of the States and still stand opposed to undue Federal power. That power has been steadily growing under Re- publican protection and encourage ment and has found nothing In its way but the old-timed Democracy and especially the Democracy Of the south Here we still insist that the people and the States have some rights left. Gov ernment ownership has an alluring sound to Socialists. to Populists and to Democrats of the Hearst brand, but to the old Democrats who have all ways stood out against Federal en- croachments the sound is offensive and significant of danger. If that theory Is forced on the party, injected into the platform and made an issue in the campaign we can see no need for spending time and money making fight. Better lay down arms at the beginning than make a hopeless cam. paign on an indefensible issue.
 A WONDERFUL RELIC.
 There seems really no limit to mod ..rp discovery especially the faculty