The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-01
o o o 6 g @ @ @ @ o o o o o o O
3 WEAR EDITORS ARe SAYING 3
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9 o O Q o @ o 90 O @ o o O O o 9
WHAT EDS ARE SAYING .. --r.
a Southern Philosopher
On Z 9outherd etateernan.

/
Democratic leaders of the South as a
man q level head and sound opinions. |
He did yeoman service in the laSe tam
paign no one knows better than he
ali that happened and why II happened
In an interview published by the Dallas
News the senator speaks frankly Of
men and things. beginning with the
following colloquial observations:
AFTER the naval battle on Lake
Erie in the war OF 1912 Comm dore
Perry. who commanded the American
fleet. declared: We have met the
enemy and they are ours. After the
election In 1884, when Cleveland de-
feated Blaine. Joseph b. Mccullough
then editor of the ST. Louis Globe
Democrat. at the head Of an editorial
page cf brilliant paragraphs, said: We
have met the enemy and we are
theirs William J. Corners. chairman
OF the State Democratic committee of
New York. probably never heard of
either OF these historic statements, for
he is not a weil-read man, though he
is most effective and resourceful po
lifical organizer. He is not distinguish
ed, moreover, for grammatical accuracy
or felicity of expression. On the night
of the election he was asked in the
Hoffman house his opinl-n Of the re-
suit, and he instantly replied: We
seen the enemy and they done us.
1T is to be remarked, parenthetlcally
and in passing, that Mr.. Conners con-
tributed no little to the overwhelming
defes' of the party In New York, and
that aaer his leadership victory is not
to be exepcted The pc pie. indeed
must forget both him ami II. Between
Mr. Corners and Mr. Murphy empha.
sis was given the moral issue made by
Mr. Hughes, drawing a line upon the
Democrats and literally forcing the in
dependent vote to the Republicans.
Until some strong man takes the helm
out of the hands Of Murphy and C-n.
ners, as Hughes took the Republican
helm out OF the hands Of Odell and
Woodruff the Democratic party in the
Empire state-even in New York City
will founder like derelict at sea.
'Cencedng that the Democratic par
ty was decisiyely defeated in tbe cam
paign just ended, aud declaring that
the situati,n demands the thoughtful
consideration OF every member OF the
party. Senator Culberson does not be-
lieve that the result indicates a rejec-
tion by the people of the original prin-
ciples of Democracy and an approval
| Z those, OF the Republicans, such as
| these latter may be. Rather, he is in
clined to ascribe the defeat to matters
of q provisional and tentative nature
We quote again:
"'But, seriously, the verdict against
lthe National Democratic ticket, as said
Iby Mr.. Bryan IN his recent public state
mcnt. was decisive. IN fact, It could
hardly have been more so, and, con-
sequent.y il demands the thoughtful
consideration ~ evefy Democrat South
as well as elsewhere. ! do not believe
It indicates a rejection by the people
OF the fundamental principles OF Dem
ocracy and the approval OF those OF
Republlcanism. 1t is due, ! think, to
several matters wholly aside from
these principles matters of temper
ary nature which need not point out
here because they can not in my iudg-
ment. seriously affect the future OF the
Democratic party Everyone win
rdcognize that this is especially true as
to the decisveness OF the defeat AS
illustrative Of this. New York City is
overwhelmingly Democratic, and yet
Il yeted against the national ticket;
and while Maryland and Missouri are
NATURALLY and normally Democratic,
part OF the electoral vote OF one ana al
Of the vote OF the other will go to the
Republican ticket Even as It is Mr.
Bryan at this election reduced the psp'
ular majority against us in 1904 by l.
800. .00Q, votes. He maintained tae dis
cdssion on a high plane and gave an
impetus to political morality. The
loyalty with which he stood by his
platform and the power aud eloquence
with which he advocated II have nj
been surpassed in our history
This is true and It is just. It il
especially Just and true OF MIR. Bryan
No man ever carried himself better
through a great political crisis. In q
former article the Courier-Journal lik
ened him to Igpatius Loyoa. Perusing
! the history Of that W ndrous orator and
worker many points of likeness will be
discovered between the Sapnlsh soldier
: and prelate and the american propa
gandist This, however, is the Twen
tieth, not the Sixteenth, OF the cen
{ turtles.
. ''Opportunism, which within bounds
i is an exce.ien servant, makes as
rule very poor master, AID tppor
tunism Is the bane Of our political life
+ The Republican party, which &C
, ccqted its leading in default of any linz
Z Of fixed policies after the subsistence o
sectional agitation under the aegis 0
: the bloody shirt. has been more r
tunate in its exploitation than the Dem
ocratic party II ought to be now eiea
TO an thinking Democrats that the aca
y demic beating about the bushes u
} search of an issue has diverted us from
the sure highway OF Dem cratic prin
clples. aud that the sooner we returl
! TO this highway the sooner we snal
unite those elements OF oppositloi
which are worth considering. Their
will be a cry for more radicalism IN
stead cf listening TO tais I'VE SHOULD
turn to the fundamental sources OF on
being as an Institutional system II
short. VIC should bark back TO the Con
stitntlOn.
Under the two administrations o