Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-12-19
raS. DECEMBER 10. 1907.
What Is a DemoeratP

The New York World, which has
been Democratic paper for years,
asked the question some time ago,
"What is a Democrat?" The
question brought a good many
replies, but in view of the widely
different answers which the ques-
ton received, one can hardly say
that much light was thrown upon
the problem, if problem it be.
1t ought not to be difficult to
answer this question, and it would |
not be if so many men calling
themselves Democrats had not
gone chasing after false gods.
Everybody used to know what a
Democrat was, for a Democrat
was man who believed with all
his heart and mind and strength
in human liberty, in the equality
of men before the law and fair
field for all with no governmental
, favors. A Democrat was a man
who believed that a man had a
right to life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness so long as he
: did not make nuisance of him
self by interfering with the life,
liberty and pursuit of happiness
of his neighbor. A Democrat
could always be trusted lat least
| outside of Pennsylvania) to op-
| pose pateralism in all its forms.
| He believed in minimum of
government. He stood pledged to
; repeal the tariff policy of the
/ nation as soon he got chance.
/ He favored the closest economy
| in legislative appropriations. He
held to strict construction of the
? constitution. He maintained that
l a man had right to dictate to
himself the religion for his heart,
| the theology for his head and the
4 solids and liquids for his stomach.
The old-fashioned Democrat
found the fountain-head of his
u Democracy in the Declaration OF
Z Independence and other political
II teachings of Thomas Jefferson.
Z He found inspiration in such men
q as Andrew jackson, Samuel j..
~ Tilden, Allen G.. Thurman and
Ii Grover Cleveland. No Democrat
'' claimed that these men we're in
N fallible, but he held that in the
n main their political policies were
4 right.
= 1t appears that some men call
!, ing themselves Democrats have
discovered that these old-time
leaders we're bourbonish, thai
while they did very we'll for the
' time they were at work, the time
= is now past, and that different
:, counsels are now needed. Instead
= of holding to strict construction
= of the constitution, they want tc
>" construe the venerable documen
=, as literally as Mr.. Roosevelt does
- Instead of fighting paternalism il
= all it's forms, they think that th'
y government should give us littl
- more paternalism. The old-tim
belief in liberty they count
:, superstition. In Texas they hav
> even gone so far as to pass a laV
~ preventing man who is travel
ing through the state from order
ing drink when in dining cal
or even taking drink from hi
own private flask unless he ca
show by physicians certifcat
- that the liquor is used for medica
~ purposes. And yet these me
" who have repudiated almost ever
political principle of the fathers Q
- Democracy call themselves Demo
Gratis.
=. Mr.. Roosevelt is very popula
man with Democrats of this type
A former Georgia editor, now re
: ceiving a princely remuneratio
= on northern paper, has eve
. gone so far as to advocate th
- nomination of Mr.. Roosevelt b
= the next Democratic convention
~ No wonder a good many old-fash
- ioned Democrats rub their eyes i
- amazement and wonder what
~ Democrat is.
- But this sort of thing cannot las
- forever. The old Democrat
90 principles may be sleeqing, bt
% they are not dead. The STILES
~ force is always the deepest, an
down all the hullabaloo that M
- Roosevelt has raised there
= quietly forming a new sentimel
80 which longs for a renaissance I
the old Democratic idea
- Paternalism has had it's inning
under Mr. Roosevelt, and tt
present commercial crisis is a goe
Oh l.s.L 11ec... g., +ho ,~oorIo &c