The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-02

:. crats at the North who have labcred
 year after year without hope of reward for the good of the cause, but the strength of Democracy is and has long
 been in the South. That its strength has been weakened and its vitality sap
 ped of late years is true enough, but
 there is yet to be found enough of the
 old guard to form a rallying point for all true lovers of good government In
 them is the only hope of the country.
 Much is being said of late about a Southern man as the candidate of the party in 1908 and we are glad to see 1t, because it shows evidence of return ing sanity Democrats in the South for a decade have been so torn and rent by internal dissensions, and have been chasing rainbows in all directions so vainly that it can hardly be Said that there is Democratic party anywhere. and its best and strongest opponents have almost despaired of its future, but we are not ready to admit that it is beyond hope or chance of reorgani- zation. 1 For reorganization" is the proper word to use. As it now stands De- mocracy is thing of shreds and patch es. and little more. with different poli- cies dominating each section and hardly a semblance of unity of thought and purpose. It is idle to think of success if the blundering, haphazard methods of decade are to be adhered to and depended on. Such methods could not succeed in the part and the possibilities are much less now or in the future if we follow the same road.
 l What lthe Democracy of the whole country needs worst is not advance but retreat in one sense of the word. If Democrats want or hope to triumph in a national contest they must get back to the old principles of Democracy as so long taught and adhered to in the South. There was a time when it's principles were as well defined and as easily understood as it is possible for anything to be. Then it had real lead CTS who led it to victory and the eoun- l try was better for it. The rank and file had faith and confidence in their leaders and followed them. Then we had good officials and good Democratic government.
 Unless there Is a change, and unless the party gets back to the old land marks it will no longer be the Demo- cratic Party but should be called the Expediency Party, for it seems to be resorting to all sorts of expcdients and experiments. and to be composed of all Democrats and Parker Democrats. Hearst Democrats and Tom Johnson Democrats, and various other varieties of real or alleged Democrats, all striv- ing for supremacy along their own lines, but the real old Democrats who believe in genuine and unpolluted De- mocracy seem to be under cover, or are biding the time when reason and prin- ciple will take charge and weld all the discordant elements into one irresisti- ble mass.
 We believe the time is at hand for the old Democratic sentiment to take charge of the party, anC by that we re- fer specially to the Democracy of the South This section must supply the votes and it should supply the policy of the party. What we want to see, and what We hope to see, is a nation convention of the old sort, composed of Democrats who are such from principle, and who will take charge of the party and run it. We want to see that con vention adopt a platform of soliG De- ows cut out and nothing but good old fashioned principles left.
 The sectional residence of the candi- date is not as essential as is the plat form he stands on and the policy he stands for, but we think it time for a change, We have supported Northern candidates and followed Northern lead ership longer than the children of Isra- el wandered in the wilderness. For more than forty years we have humbly accepted and supported Northern men and out of about a dozen of them we have got one President. It is true that success under MT Cleveland meant much fer Democracy and fer the coun- try but as there is no hope Of finding another like him we fail to see that we are bound to keep UT the effort to succeed with any but one of our own statesmen,
 The Advertiser has not been boosting any one Southern man or advocating the nomination of any one Southern Statesman for the presidency. Much Is being said of Senator Daniel of Vir- ginia. and it would be hard to find a better man to lead Democrats in the way they should go. Then there is Gray of Delaware. Raynor of Maryland and others we might name, all good men and true. upon anyone of whom the party ought to be able to unite and un- der whom success would be more than probable if the party can unite on sound principles
 And the time has sssursdly come when united Democratic effort is the part of sound patriotism. Certainly it