Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-16
THE THIRD PARTY

AI HEN the Republican administra-
wv ton passes into history the re-
viewer who sums up its work
will say: "All it's mischievous achieve
ments were dwarfed by the result they
produced. A reign of plundering and
blundering, frenzied financial folly and
governmental inefticieney and inepti-
|zude, which were only emphasized by
the heroic, protesting talks of President
Roosevelt, resulted in the establish
ment on firm foundation of a third
party which was destined to play a
great part In the evolution of America" :"
This third party which has made
such huge gains during the reign OF
Republicanism that 1t must be taken
into account in estimating the political
situation is what is called the Social
ist" party. 1t seems not improbable
the Socialist vote will be close to a mil
lion this fall. This means business. 1t
| is a disturbing factor in political cal
culations. 1t is handwriting on the
WALL" which should be needed by all
citizens, especially by Republicans, for
Republicans are to blame for the condi-
ton, II it is one deserving blame, and
probably In the opinion of many con-
servative citizens it is blameworthy.
The nation was doing very well. It
was easily the leader among nations in
humanity, philanthropy, altruism and
higher civilization, as well as in the
production of material wealth. The Re-
publican party promised and guaranteed
"a full dinner pail for everybody and
employment for everybody all the year
round" and having obtained power by
making these promises, which won the
votes of many farmers and a ma
jority of wage earners, the Republican
leaders, false to their pledges, untrue to
their promises, began to pursue high
handed course which mulcted an indus
trial nation for the benefit OF a pluto
cratic oligarchy composed of highly
protected manufacturers, and of finan l.
cial experts who knew a thousand dis
guises and thousand plausible names
for LOOT.
1t is to the Republican-fostered,
highly protected, riotous revel Of COM
mercial piracy that the startling and
disquieting growth of the third political
party must be attributed.
Conservatism demands return to the
first principles Of Americanism. The
Democracy pledges itself to a restora-
tion of the first principles of Ameri-
canism. Good citizens who do not
relish the idea of a radical departure
from business and social precedents
urge the nation to put the Democratic
party in power, to give good old prim-
tive Americanism another chance and
to show the world that the American
republic has been but following false
prophets.
Not the least heavy Of Republican
losses already evident is the loss of the
farmer vote. The farmer has been un-
easy for a long time--his- Irritation with
populism in some sections of the coun-
try showed that. Now unless the Dem
ocratic party does yeoman work So
cialist missionaries will have managed
to capture the granger. The third
party-which never seems to be at a
| iOSS ApA AiiioiiSOS--lr SllSdSSu III lilC ptO-
digious task of making a farm to farm
canvass.
One farmer is quoted as saying: "I
don't want every blamed thing put
under the government, but 1 do like
the idea of Uncle Sam being the big
dog again an Wall street bein' the pup.
1 don't believe in class struggle If you
mean only those union strikes. But If
you mean the Democracy against the
men who are stealing its independence,
then I'm with the Socialists hard"
Plainly, it is the duty of the Demo-
cratic party to prove to the farmer it
is the representative of the conserva-
tive Democracy, and that without try
ing rash experiments, the results of
which no man could foresee or foretell,
it can help him against the men who
are stealing American independence
With an untried experiment and an
administration disgraced by rapacity
| incapacity, craft and graft competing
with Democracy for governmental
power, surely the American people WlI
have no difficulty in choosing Dem
ocracy, and in committing the interests
of the nation to those patriotic, tried
and true Americans, William Jennings
J Bryan and John w. Kern.