New-York tribune., 1908-12-10
WHY DEMOCRACY FAILS
LITTLETON HAS REMEDY.
WOuld Watch administration for a
Real Issue.

In the last twelve years had failed it had
stood for nothing but what seemed most popular
at the moment Martin ". Lttleton, at the twenty
third annual dinner Of the New York Southern So
ciety, at the Waldorf last night, pointed out q
way in which he thought the party might be so
vitalZed to command the respect and commence
Of the people. Our capital must come from estao-
llshed courage to undertake and an admitted 1T
ness TO run the government said Mr.. Llttleton.
The burning question Of the hour, he said. was not
so much the occasional neglect and dishonesty in
handling the funds Of corporations but rather
the widespread. deep rooted and generally ac-
cepted waste, extravagance and carelessness which
run in government Of city. state and nation
The suggestion made by Mr.. Littleton as thar
the Southern Society select an advisory COMMIT
lperfect organization IN each state %
form a bureau in Washington, the business OF
which should be to study the questions OF govern
ment and continually to be asking the questlon
as to how the money of the nation Is being raised
and how 1t is being spent
Then shall become a live opposition party.
he said. and win deserve the support or THINK
ing people"
President Woodrow Wilson Of Princeton. speak
ing on Conservatism. True and False, SAD tn1e
the platforms offered by each party at me lls'
election formed miscellaneous body OF poHcles
drawn togethec by no discernibe principle II
was simply a question the one hand OF my
policies" and on the other Of his policies.
There is no clear Indication" he added "that
the country considered that the campaign settled
ANYTHING except the question OF who should be
President declared that the tariff could never
be properly revised until 1t was done on oaslS
of the general welfare. rather than that OF IN
dividual men or groups Of men The conIrol Oh
the government should be exercised by processes
of law rather than by executive discretion the
speaker said
Mr.. Lfttleton briefly reviewed the history OF the
Democratic party for the twelve years, saying
that the failure Of the conservative forces had
been marked that of the radical forces Inc
names Republican and Democrat to-day meant
nothing except the dominant party and tie party
OF opposition. He then worked UP to the question
Of economic mana cement Of the government both
in theory and practice 1T is far more important
he declared, TO the permanent welfare OF tne
country to know how the government deals with
its money than how the individual deals with his
He said in part:
The lesson suggested by these twelve years Of
uniform and iInpara! defeat IS that as an oPPoSF
political leaders for some change issue on wh1Gh @
ventIve genius Of platform makers 70 turn out out
coi Ses Test 9T % fb NJ" po the resourceftiness Of
orators TO make ourselves seem the better cause: Sc
something which we do which VIII demonstrate our @
this this which frsT should be disposed of
1t cannot be done by playing TO the vote OF labor
in 9 anober foF the 5u simple ressoa that the party
mankind to hate and distrust another Ssss Ior She
bv teaching the less fortunate class Of men that
their Condition is due to the wrongs Of the more
fortunate. for the world Is growing wiser and II
and teaches an economical faIsehood It cannot
e@P 6 % % s 04eess s dS party as to what
viii be the most popular issue in given campaign
rsign in blind fashion Certain sensational evils
our H2% pary I an T rss0 ef ehs sppor q Ts IS only
one way that can see. ana that is TO show them
their interests as a whole and not any longer to
from capital to labor; that We mean to make the
governments, city, state and national better gov
mean to SIT around between elections and try to
when the convention assemblies make another
Quadrennial guess as to what the people want want
good citizen by steady and resoIute endeavor 10
but viii have asset valid debt Of graft
- So cr,,Te - T,s-Gersr{,r r,eT7Fa-S whose
Democrat from each state TO confer not for the
purpose OF getting delegates for an entirely differ
organization shall be. perfected in each state
whose business II viii be to put the questions and
get answers from the government Where DO you
Taxation lust and equal? How do you spend II?
To the end that at Washington We shah keep and
>f,1s M secure the answers ~ them there
II do this, VIII become first. q I've cppo-
siJiou party armed with the knowledge OF facts
vital and SECOND we will deserve the support Il
the thinking people Of the country and We viii
our motto should be: "a true representative re-
Fs4sa R@se, honestly conducted and frasany admins
President Wilson said.
We are conscious Of sort OF dissolution OF par
ties, confusion OF issues OF singular lnteraec-
Jions OF opinion and lnternlE9!ns OF lIP use ana
notable absence OF leadership, not IeadersIlip OF
political organizations, but leadership OF cOnstruC
no installing the uneasiness Of LhougntSu- men IN
Of sucn circumstances or the universal
desire that there should be some action upon def
Is t1s to tf Io OF stqF .aS % have to aPythips P5sp
been unknown. We must bark forward.
The conservatisTn WHICH should be sharply dis
Ism ts1' EIcb Seeks rat5Irn 10 o}d and wen Tecoe-
way will give them new interpretation and a
new meaning for the time live in. The true
conservatism consists in reexaHining old princl-
Pies seeking such reforInuIation Of them as VIII
adapt them to ths circumstances Of new time.
On tariff reform he said
This reform must proceed without injusrice and
little injury as possible II must proceed
also gradually and with a due regard TO main,
teuance Of economic staDiIty But Il must proceed
fearlessly upon the principle, not that all protection
is 10 be withdrawn but that all pTotection IS 70 oe
adjusted 70 the general interest ara wlLndTaWn
the field OF the granting OF special privileges
and advantages.
The Rev. DIT S. Parkes Cadman also spoke Dr.
John A Wyeth, president Of the society. was
toastnaster Others at the guests table were
Major Edward owen, commander Confederate Vet
eran Camp: Bruce Rice. president Tennessee So
Cety: J D. Peterson. secretary British Schools and
Universities. DR.. George Tucker Harrison. governor
Of the Virginians. Robert Olphant. Of the ST An
d~evs Society; Lloyd 3 Sanderson. second vice
president St Georges Society. Herman A. Metz.
controller city Of New York; the Rev T. Nevett
steele chaplain OF the society Patrick F. Nc
C4owan President Board OF Aldermen: James T
Woodward president Maryland Society. Will
lam Temple Emmett. president Friendly Sons Of
ST Patrick, eX-Justice Augustus Van Nyfk, pTesl-
oent South Carolina Society; Thomas J. MCGUIRE, /
-.-as 9avt