The Democratic advocate., 1908-12-18
THE GOVERNORS VIEWS
POINTS OUT RIGHT PATH FOR
DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Should Have High Ideals and Good
Men Behind Them 1

very WnOleSOmo IDEAS, as IOlIOWS.
This it not the time" he said, 'to
talk politics, and l am not botherins
my head about it. | have plenty to d(
here, and there are number of com
missions from which l expect import
ant results before the winter is over
What l am interested in is placing
on the statute books the laws this
State needs to put it upon business
foundation and in line with the most
progressive Commonwealths of the
country. And / want these things
done by the Democratic party.
Il went in with the last Legislature
and l was not in good physical condi-
ton. Perhaps, l did not do my share
The next Legislature comes in the mid
die of my term. 1t is the one that will
have the real opportunity to accom-
plish something, and if | have my
health, will do my snare then.
In my judgment, the coming ses-
sion will have before it more vital
and important legislation than any in
recent years. | want the best men
possible from counties and city sent
there. They should be men capable
OF grasping and dealing with the big
| questions that will come up. The
voters should realize the necessity Of
sending only strong, reliable men to
Annapolis next time. ! am believer
, in party organization and in parties.
More can be accomplished through
these agencies than through any other
or by individual effort. I am a party
man and l want my party to place
itself squarely back of the reforms
and measures which the people want,
which the State needs and which the
public has a right to expect. Reform
never hurt the Democratic party. 1t
has always helped it.
| Let us get away from this idea
| that there is danger in giving to the
people what they want. There never
was a bigger mistake. There could
be no worse politics played than to
pull back as the people pull forward.
The thing to do is to make the party
stand for something real and vital.
Do not merely give the people choice
between men and ask their votes.
Give them some other reason and a
good reason. Make the party appeal
to the man who is not in politics, who
wants no office and has no political
tambitfon. Make that man feel that
the Democratic party stands for pro-
gress and that it will provide the
needed reforms, that it will play
straight with the people and that it
justifies the confidence placed in it
when it is in power. Let us get away
! from the apprehension that we can go
too far along progressive lines, that
we can give the people too much of
what they want.
Look at the Corrupt Practices act
=
element that pulled back and demur-
they had to. They predicted it would
turn the State over to the Republicans,
that it would put the party in hole
and that it would ruin the organiza-
! ton.
"Will anyone now deny that the
Corrupt Practices act has strength
ened the Democratic party? Even the
men who fought it in our party are
today its strongest advocates. They
are converted at last, and next ses-
sion there will be no more difficulty
about getting through the amendments
needed to the law than there would
be to get through a resolution to ad-
journ over Sunday. The law is out
of the woods now and it has justified
|
the party.
| II want to see the Democratic party
stand for some wholesome, clean, SEN
sible things that will increase the
confidence of the people in it and con-
So long as this so-called race issue ex-
ists-and it does exist-Maryland will
| be practically a one-party State, and
he will
had but one Republican Governor here,
and, although he was a fine, clean
man, who frowned upon that sort of
thing, his administration was so mark
ed by disorder and crime among the
negro population that the people have
not, and will not, forget it. So long
as this condition exists the people will
not trust the Republicans again with
the State government, knowing the
baleful effect upon the colored popula-
ton, and Maryland is today a one
party State.
But what I want is to get the party
away from a reliance on this issue.
Let us make the party stand for some
thing so wholesome, clean and good
that we can win without this issue.
It is easy to do it, and it is so clearly
the obvious, decent thing to do
that 1 do not believe there will
be any trouble in getting it
done. The party can do this
at the next Legislature, and if we do
measure up to public expectation, if
we do give the public what we ought
to give it; If we. of our own accord in
dorse and stand for clean, fair and
progressive methods, without waiting
until we are driven into it, there will
be no danger of the reins of govern
ment passing out of our hands. We
will have great chance at the next
Legislature, and we must avail our
selves of it. If we do, we will place
our party on a rock where it will be
practically invulnerable.
II speak as party man. These
are my ideas of what the party's pol
icy should be- They are easy to fol-
low out. They are simple and obvi-
GUS. The doctrine is merely to give
the people what they want and what
they have right to expect; play the
game straight and avoid even the
appearance of trickery or unfairness
'The executive ana legislative
branches of the State government
should cooperate. There should be
no clash between them. There will be
none If l can help it. but am anxious
that the kind of men go to Annapolis
next year who will be willing and
able to join hands with me in an effort
to benefit our State and our party az