Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-12-19
VIGILANCE THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.


and the lines are being drawn for the
presidential campaign Of 1908. it be-
hooves the democrats to be on their guard
lest the party be crippled by an organi-
zation out Of harmony with the partys
purpose. In 1904 the party took back
ward step. and it did so because many
good democrats, discouraged by defeat,
yielded to the temptation held out by
Wall Street, which offered to help the
democratic party secure some OF its re-
forms if it would abandon others. When
the time came, Wall Street did what
Wall Street always has done, namely y
threw its influence to the party which it
thought could win. The lesson was a
useful one to democrats, and Immediately
after the election the progressive element
In the party asserted itself. The plat
forms adopted by the democratic state
conventions of this year leave no doubt
as to the partys position. There will
be no contest In the national convention
Of 1908 on platform. The party will be
drawn up sohdly against the encroach-
ments Of predatory wealth, and its posi-
ton will be clear and explicit on all the
issues ripe for settlement, but the organi-
zation is almost as necessary as the plat
form. Our fight must be made upon a
moral plane, for we seek justice. Our
people must appeal to the conscience of
the country, and that conscience awaken
ed will sweep everything before it. We
can not fight upon a moral plane with an
immorol organization; we can not appeal
to the conscience Of the country with a
conscienceless crowd IN charge of the
party machinery. 1t is absolutely neces-
sary, therefore, that the organization shall
be IN the hands Of those who are in SYM
pathy with the party s purpose and whose
records will not give the lie to the party's
promises.
There are many democrats who are
voting the ticket whose prominence in
the party would be detriment to the
party. If these men are really sincere in
their desire to help the party, they will
not force themselves into the foreground,
and if they try to force themselves into
the foreground, the party ought to thwart
their purpose. The fight at this time is
against the encroachments Of the preda-
tory corporations, and these corporations
can be divided into two classes, first,
those that hold franchises or favors from
the government, and second, those which
for pecuniary reasons attempt to control
the legislative, the executive or the jude
ial branch Of the government. No one
who is connected with such a corpora
ton should aspire to position in party
organization, for he can not serve the
public and his corporation at the same
time. He must choose which he will
serve. If he wants to stay in politics he
must sever his connection with the corpo-
rahons. If he wants to remain with the
corporations, he must sever himself from
politics. The city councils and the state
legislatures have constantly to deal with
the franchise corporations Of the cities;
therefore. those who are connected with
those corporations ought not to be permit
ted to be part Of the party organization.
The trusts have to be dealt with by state
and federal legislation, and therefore, no
one connected with the trusts ought to be
a member Of the party organization. The
railroads are constantly before the state
and federal congress and before state and
federal courts. No one who is so con-
nected with the railroads as to make
him subserient to them or biased in their
favor should be part Of the party or
sanizahon. 1t is no reflection upon a
railroad attorney or corporation attor-
ney to say that he can not serve two
masters. No one who is not consumed
with eso6sm and inordmately vain would
imagine himself able to decide impartial
ly between the people on the one side
and his corporation on the other.
Let every aspnant for a position in the
party organization be scruhnzed. If hi,
present position or his past record is open