The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-01

some months ago The New York
World challenged all mankind 70 an
swer its question, what Is Demo-
sm an apsatsTs en 10 two At g III alike
and every one absolutely correct. DEM
ocracy, in the main, was defined to
be everything that can be stood up
between Grover Cleveland and Richard
Olney at one end and William j. Bryan
and William Il Hearst at the other.
This Illustrates the wonderful versa
tility OF the party Of JEFFERSON and
Jackson, and its omnfvorous appetite
for politics Of all shapes and colors
And now the tnterrogatory Is made,
What is 3 Republican, The answers
are numerous and varied, and from
them could be concocted an ola ped
rida almost as complex and quite az
mysterious as that In the Democrats
can be stood up between Senators La
Toilette and Aldrich3
The country is full or consolidation
Democrats and states rights RepubM
cans. Mr.. Bryan and President Rooae-
welt both give, support to Senator Bev-i
eridge's bill to abolish child labor in
the States. Present Secretary Straus Is
for a tariff for revenue only;~ former
lection only. senator Foraker says the
octopus chase should have ceased with
the enactfng OF the Elkins antl-rehate
law: Governor Cummings says the oc-
topus. chase is Just fairls begun.
In both parties are leaders who as
sail the federal feature OF the consti-
tuition and demand the election OF Uni-
ted States senators by direct vote Of
the people. The leader Of the Demo-
cratic party bellevue that the .'uiti-
mate" solution of the octopus chase
Is government owncr ship OF railroad
properties the MAJ ket value OF which
ts some $4,000. Doc, 0c0. The same
leader has no conndsnce In tho con
80 a.s.- 80 H.. -.
stitution. ana would appeal from It's
deliberations to the people direct by
the adoption OF the initiative and ref
erendum.
Senator Lodge asks for tartf re-
vision. Senator Hale says the tariff
Is trimmed precisely right as II now.
exists. Mr.. Henry Watterson advises
backward step to the constitution
and Is answered. In q thousand tongues,
friendsY' Mr.. John Temple Graves
hopes to swell the political assets OF
Theodore Roosevelt by making him a
deed OF gift to the Democratic party,
and asks Mr. Bryaa to make the pre-
dications that Mr.. Roosevelt is now
in posse ssion of as many political par
one time.
the storm win some day abate, and
let us hope that the PEOPLE will then
set about gathering together the frag-
ments and restore the temples OF our
fathers as nearly as may be to the old
order Of the elder and better day.
We are an emots aaI people and we
are fond of our orators. In 1885, as
someone has said. a newspaper re-
porter took the national Democracy off
Its feet by a speech. GARFIELD nomi-
mated John Sherman for President once
and did IL so admirably that he was
himself nominated.
oratory is not dead. The American
people are peculiarly responsive to the
resonant voice even when there is
been anything to show that a good
talker would make an executive on
Ger. The best president and the great
est statesmen this country has ever
had--Thomas Jefferson was about the
poorest speaker in America.
1t ought not to be hard to decide
what is a Democrat or what is a Re-
publican.
A Democrat should stand by the con
stitution. He should adhAre to the
doctrine OF decentralization. He should
believe in q program Of tariff revision
leading to q tariff for revenue only.
He should believe In an economical
administration of affairs. He should
stand for individualism and oppose the
trusts.
A Republican should stand for the
opposite of all these things. when
Mr.. Roosevelt conteads for the g0v-
eminent ownership of coal lands ana
Mr.. Bryan advocates the government
ownership of railroads, neither OF
them is either a Democrat or q Re-
publican. Both, in tast, are sociali-
lists.
there VIII be no question as 10 what
a Democrat is.-Memphis Commercial
Appeal