Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-24

/ WI AAtidlh Wutlilti kthitldlig ANtiA
ized or not, It is nevertheless a fact that
the country is already in the midst of a
| presidential campaign that will continue
until the first Tuesday of November,
1908. 1t will be the longest in the his
tory of the nation and promises to be
as interesting and earnest as any OF
| its predecessors.
The campaign is on thus early for
| the reasons that conditions are un-
usual; evils have grown UP of seri-
Gus character; the issues involved are
| more than of ordinary gravity, and
! the interest the people are taking is
| disclosed in their discussion of remedial
measures. A number of candidates for
nomination to the presidency are al
ready actively in the field, and others
! have been suggested whose names are
receiving consideration with a view Of
testing the inclinations of the people
in regard to them.
| on the Republican side Fairbanks
and Foraker are most conspicuous for
their activity-Taft is at least ten
tative candidate. Roosevelt is much
spoken of and in many quarters has
been doomed by Endorsement. Hughes,
Root, La Toilette and Knox have been
named as fit men for the office and
others have been mentioned.
on the Democratic side there has
been less mention of candidates, though
a number have received favorable eX-
preston. but Bryan leads all by
long distance up to the present time
in general and serious consideration.
He is not, however, as yet. an avowed
candidate for the nomination
There are not so many aspirants in
the Democratic party as in the Repub-
llcan, Il having been i'm the minority,
and the Republicans have possession
Of the national government and are in
control of a considerable majority of
the states.
There is comparatively little dissen-
sion in the Democratic ranks, while
in the Republican there are factional
fights and discordant views respecting
the policies to be pursued. This con-
dition furnishes strong hope and eX-
pectation that the Democratic party
will be victorious at the election.
The Republican party has been in
power thirty-nine years out of the last
forty-seven. For the last twenty years
or more it has been controlled by a
class to the detriment of the mass; in
all that time it has been in the hands
of a coterie of political bosses; its
policies have been dictated by ma
chine provisioned by monopolists. From
this have grown abouses against which
a large number, possibly majority of
the party, has rebelled, and the rebel
lion is led by president of the party's
own selection and chosen by an I'M
precedented majority with the aid of
Democratic votes The split is in re-
spect to measures appropriate to the
removal of abuses to which the masses
have been and are subjected These
facts also enter into the contest over
candidates.
There have rarely been, if ever, graver
questions before the American people
than in this presidential campaign,
which relate to fundamental principles,
economics and morals. In the present
conflict the same principles are in
volved as were those in the struggles
of 1900, 1928 and 1860. They are as
as in those epochal years,
the only difference being in respect to
the character of the evils evolved I'M
der different circumstances and condi-
tions, and the remedial measures re-
quired for their suppression.
What is now the fundamental ques-
tion before the country? It is whether
the mass or class shall dominate the
Observation-Disclosures it shall be demo-
cratic or Observation-Disclosures men or
money shall receive the higher consid-
Grafton. The present evils which are
great and quite alarming, are out
BTOWIn OI pOllCleS ana laws tnaC nave
enabled the few to exploit the many
of the wealth they produced. Special
interests that have been favored
through immoral business ideals and
practices, or erroneous economical the
cries, have corrupted officials, demor-
allied considerable percentage of the
voters and developed the spirie of graft
ing in public and commercial affairs.
Debauchery of the public conscience
has TOrnNaaHad RI ~
be perilously near sapping the founda-
tions of free and enlightened institu-
tions.
This has come about through keeping
one party too long in power; not that
one party would be worse than another
under like circumstances and condi-
tions, provided they were alike in their
respect for fundamental principles and
in conceptions as to what best pro-
notes human progress and happiness.
All those who would thrive through
special privileges would fatten on gov
ernment faVors go over to the party
that is in position to bestow favors,
and they actively support it with their
money and votes If it evinces a disposi-
ton to do what is wanted
There are not likely to be political
machines and bosses in a minority
party. They are particularly incidental
to party in power, nationally or To-
cally. A party in control nationally,
in state or in municipality is in
danger of falling under the direction
of the exploiters of the public, espe-
cially when 1t is disposed to resort
to measures looking to the promotion
of material interests as the highest
mission of government. and to the
sacrifice of equal individual rights and
opportunities for all the people.
The favors bestowed on class have
been so great and continuous that they
have produced in it a spirit of super
ciliousness and turbulence that even
a partisan-ridden party could not long
er endure. The people laid their COM
plants before the government with
such force and persistency that their
appeals for relief could not longer be
unheeded The president took up the
cudgel In their behalf and aided by
an overwhelming public sentiment
coerced congress to enact some relief
measures They were supported by
nearly unanimous Democratic vote,
which, together with the votes of Re-