Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-10
TRYING TO BLAZE THE WAY
N. w. Littleton Says Too Much
Time Has Been Lost Temporizing..
WINNING PUBLIC CONFIDENCE
Appeals Made to the Southern So.
ciety of New York at the Annual
Dinner Of That Organization.

NEW YORK. December 1O.-Appeals nv
Martin W. Littleton for national or
ganiZation to rehabilitate the democratic
party and by President Woodrow Wilson
of Princeton for a return to true con-
servatiSm on the part of the national
democracy interested and enthuscd 4CO
more southerners. members of the South
ern Society of New York at the annual
dinner of that society in the Waldorf
Astoria last night. Mr.. Littleton's plea,
definite in suggestion and expressed with
intense earnestness. was frequently inter
rupted by cheering as hearty as that
which greeted Dixie" and Maryland. My
Maryland while President Wilson's
thoughtful words were listened to with
closest attention
Mr.. Lttleton In his speech answered
the current speculations as to the proh-
a Die future of the democratic party by
declaring that its future II II was to he
one worth while. could be attained only
through the speedy adoption Of some def
mite policy for which the party should
and consistently stand. Too
much time had already been lost he
thought. upon the method OF making what
was considered the fortunate choice Of
a popular policy from time to time.
Trouble Deeper Than Platforms.
Under any and all of these changes"
continued Mr.. Littleton, I'VE have met the
same kind of defeat seemingly coming
from the same quarters. We have at
least one result for which we can he
grateful, and that is that the failure OF
the conservative forces was as conspicu-
Gus that of the radical forces. indi-
eating that the trouble lies deeper than
the promises of platforms and the utter
anceS of candidates.
How will we restore the faith OF the
people In our party and regain their sup
port? There is only one way that I can
see. and that Is to show them by actual
work that We mean to serve them and
their interests as a whole and not any
longer to swing like pendulum from
la Dor to capital and from capital to labor;
that We mean to make. the governments.
city. state and national. better severn
ments by practical hard work. directed
In an intelligent way to actual problems.
You ask what is this work and how
can we do it? The true practical question
in the city, state and national govern
ment at the present time Is how do YOU
get the money to carry on your business?
Is your taxation just and equal? How
do YOU spend the money which YOU get
from the people by taxation? Do You
treat this trust fund as carefully as YOU
would II II were your own? You have
charged the business corporations and
neglect. not to say dishonesty, in handling
the trust funds in their own hands. Now
it is their turn to ask you as the cOrpo-
ration of the city. of the state and of the
trust fund which comes from universal
taxation?
Much is being said about the reorgani-
zation of the democratic party. Unless 1t
s furnished with working capital by the re-
committee II will fail again.
That capital must come from A proven
ability to understand. an established
courage to undertake and an admitted fit
ness to run the government
You ask how shall We do this? This
southern society stands for that section
Of the country whose democracy has never
failed. ] am sure all southern men are
tired of being made to stand against
things which are inevitable and for things
which are impossible. and would like to he
able to furnish good reason for your
democracy.
Suggests an Advisory Committee.
"Why cannot this society select an ad-
visory committee from among its demo
cratic members, whose business IT will he
to ask some good, hard-headed democrat
Of each state to confer. TO the end that an
organization shall be perfected in each
state whose business it will be to put
questions and get answers from the gov
Where do you get the money
to run your government? Is your taxa
ion just and equal? How do you spend
IT, to the end that at Washington We
shall keep and maintain a perfectly or
ganized, we'll equipped and courageous
bureau. which shall put the same ques-
tons and secure the answers TO them
there.
eff we do this We will become. first .
i've opposition party armed with the
knowledge of facts and practice upon
questions which are always vital, and
second. We will deserve the support of
he thinking people of the country and
We will get it,
President Wilson in his speech called
for a return to true conservatism. which .
he said consisted "in re-examining old
principles and seeking such reformula
ion of them as would adapt them to the
of a new time. The true
q keen nrincinleS Is To keen