The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-17
everything else. it is something that
must go over until after election.
The PopuIist Ticket.

The Popuist Ticket.
Newspapers of certain sort that for
twelve years have done nothing except
denounce Mr.. Bryan as Populist are
today shouting with glee because the
Poprlist party, with every one Of its
members assembled in convention at
st. Louis, refused to either nominate
or to indorse him. He himself neither
sought nomination nor Endorsement.
The real voting members of the Peo-
ple's party long ago came over into the
Democratic party and will there re-
main unless the Democratic. party
should commit the error of going back
to reaction and Bourbonism.
It is Interesting to find Tom Watson
Of Georgia nominated for the presiden-
cy. Thomas is an able citizen. Wheth-
er be is Il statesman isyet to be proved.
He has compiled some books on the
history of France and the life of Ma
poleon that almost approach briliiancy.
His life of Jefferson, while readable,
does not 60 far toward the brilliant.
But one wonders whether an apostle Of
the people who was willing for the
mere purpose of putting out personal
magazine to enter into financial rela-
tions with Colonel William D'Armon
Mann, the owner of the somewhat no.
torious Town Topics of New York, can
be quite at heart devoted to popular
cause. OF course in the part of the
country where Mr.. Watson has his po-
litical strength Colonel Mann is not
known, but sooner or later the intelll-
gence that Watson went from his home
in Georgia to New York and entered
into a relationship which was not cred
table to a man making his profession
of devotion to the cause Of the common
people will be known even there. That
his essay in attaching himself to the
Swell journalism of the rich set in
New York proved unfortunate was only
to be expected. Nobody probably de-
plores it more than he does today. But
the man who was willing to tie up with
Town Topics for journalistic purposes
might tie up with other curious institu-
tions or characters for political pur-
poses. The Populists might well look
out for Watson. . L
The Fiibuster In the House.
The word "flibuster" has not good.
significance among the people Of the
country. What it really, means now is
that the Democratic minority in the
house, headed by John Sharp Williams,
have determined to see that either leg
islation demanded for the good Of the
people, legislation asked for by Mr..
Roosevelt, shall be enacted or else that
nothing shall be done.
The five men who really constitute
the governing power Of the United
States-Speaker Cannon, Representa-
tives Dalzell, Payne, Hepburn and
Tawney-are now standing pat on the
proposition that nothing shall be done
during this congress. They will not
pass any bill affecting the interests
of the people as whole-neither the
bill demanding free paper and free
wood pulp in the interests of newspa-
pers nor any other measure Of general
public interest. The ordinary private
pension bills 60 through without much
discussion, but few Bills Of national
Importance ever emerge from the COM
| mittees.
That is why the Democratic minority
has begun to fight. The position Of
the minority, as Mr.. Williams frankly
expresses it, Is that it believes Re
publican congress, with a Republican
president back of 1t, should do some
business. Mr.. Williams says very can
didly that the mere passage Of private
pension bills is not doing public bust
ness. When the president bombards
congress with messages asking for
such measures as the employers lia-
bility bill, the amendment Of the anti
trust law, the revision OF the tariff and
the abolition of tariff on wood pulp,
it does not seem quite in; accord with
the duty of congress that it should
give its attention to every trivial mat
ter which the president has not urged.
It is this that Mr.. Williams, leading
the Democratic party in, the house, has
tried to make clear. And his insistence
that the Republican party must either
enact the legislation of Importance
| which their leader in the White House
has put before them as the most impor,
tant Issues or else do nothing because
Of Democratic opposition is logical and
fright. ,..a4s,@sss..s7fg 20
A filibHsteri In congress have
fwo purposes. One at theehdt ofsa feOns,
gressional session can be utilized to
prevent legislation which is unjusti
fable, ex.ravagant or unwise. A river
and harbor bill was talked to death by
Republican flibuster four years ago.
The force bill was defeated by Sena-
tor Gor'2an years before that time
through f!ibustering methods. The pres
ent fll,r:ster in the house OF represent
atives Is directed against the purpose
Of the majority to ignore the measures
which have been urged by President
Roosevelt 1t is the one device that the
Democratic minority can adopt to com
pei the presentation before the house
Of these measures. The present Demo-
cratic filibuster, and it is fllibuster,
is intended not for purposes Of delay,
but to compel the Republican majority,
a majority in the house and senate. to
bring before congress the measures
which are essential to the we'll being
| OF the peonle of the United States.