The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-10
IN Its Ranks Are Republicans
And Democrats Who Place
Patriotism Above Party
Loyalty.
DEMOCRATS OF COUNTRY
HAVE LOST ALL POWER.
New Force Has Arisen in the
Nation Based Upon Honest
Conviction, Which Is Pure
In Purposes.
BY Angus McSweeh.

6y angus MCoWeeHs
Philadelphia, Nov. 1O.-Every rea-
son advanced for the overwhelming
defeat of Bryan and the democratic
party, by democrats, and every regret
expressed for the virtual disappear
ance Of the democracy as moral
agent in government, shows unmis-
Iakabiy that the democracy is learning
very slowly that minority may lose
the respect and the confidence of the
public as well as a majority.
It was general misapprehension re-
2arding the real issues before the
American people that formed the ba-
sis of the democratic hope of success.
Similar misapprehension among re-
publicans caused such alarm and un-
certainty as was felt with respect to
the election of William Howard Taft.
The truth is that the party lines have
changed so absolutely In the last eight
years that the division is no longer
between democrats and republicans,
but between progressives and reac-
tionaries.
out of congress to offer intelligent or
effective opposition to that element of
republicanism which had unquestion-
ably become the party of special priv
ilege and political corruption, caused
real advocates of reform to turn from
the old minority leaders and the MI
nority organization to the progressive
republicans in various sections of the
country who had proclaimed them
selves the champions of public inter-
est and the uncompromising foes of
all of the abuses, grown into mon
strous evils under the fostering care
of the Aldrich-Cannon type of repub-
lican leaders.
Roosevelt Aided Movement.
The coming of Roosevelt gave to the
progressive movement an impetus
which it could not have obtained
from any other source. Looking
back over the past eight years, it is
impossible to give too much credit
to the president for what he has done
in advancing the moral sentiment of
the whole nation and awakening the
public conscience.
But for Roosevelt there would in all
probability have been nothing accom-
plished beyond such agitation as Bry-
an has been engaged in, and such
breaking away from party standards
as would have swelled the ranks of
Socialism, and possibly have landed
Bryan in the White House as a pro-
test against the domination in COM
merce. in industry and in politics of
the giant combinations of capital
But Roosevelt came, and with his
advent the progressive spirit was not
only strengthened but the true pro-
gressives throughout the country rail-
lied under the Roosevelt banner.
Like Birth Of New Party.
To all intents and purposes. new
party had been born and it attracted
to it's ranks not republicans alone, but
great number of democrats, who,
placing patriotism above party loyal
ty, were not slow in discovering that
this was the real party of protest, of
opposition to. special privilege. of per-
sistent and unalterable enmity to the
gang bosses and the law-defying cor
poration magnates. who had misused
the republican organization and the
publics confidence to promote their
own schemes of plunder and debauch-
cry.
In the congress of the United States
this party is and has been the only
effective minority. In the nation 1t
ceased to be minority, except in
some of the eastern states, in 1904,
and in the last election 1t ceased to be
minority anywhere. except, possibly,
in Pennsylvania and in New Hamp-
shire and one or two other New Eng.
land states
But everywhere. in congress as well
as in the states. it is recognized as the
party of reform, of progress. of ere
ative ability and of honest and patriot
10 principles.
This is the true explanation of the
rapid retrogression of the democracy
Bryan. had he been ten times as bril-
liant, ten times as active, and many
times more sincere and patriotic in
his purposes. could not have brought
back to the democracy as a whole. the
confidence and respect which are as
necessary to effective opposition as tc
the accomplishment of any public pur
pose.
Supporters OF Right Allied.
What has happened in this country
is this: The party lines still exist
Tradition, prejudice and some stupid
ity and ignorance make them strong
er than they would be otherwise. Blu,
CONTINUED On Page Two.)