The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-12-18

bc unable 10 COMMAND the ~cou6dence Of
the conservative elements Of the nation.
and 10 fight the last ditch the adoption
Of . platform that these elements cannot
and will not support. In view Of the
great success II the two Roosevelt 3D.
pinistratiuns and the character, ability
and experience Of President-elect TAFT,
which seem to warrant q good adminis-
tration by him, 1t may be expecting too
much to anticipate q Democratic VIC
tory four years from now. But some
day. aud that is not a distant future, the
hour of Democratic opportunity, will
come. II the party courageously and
perseveringly maintain a cohesive, az
gressive organization sensibly directed
and based entirely On sound economic
and political principles.
1t a be regarded as certain that the
Democratic party will End ample scope
for service as a minority party, at the
same time being able to lay broad and
deep the foundations for solid achieve
ment la the higher and more RESPONSE
Bile sphere.
And it is equally certain that it should
be an opposition party only when oppo-
sition is right from the standpoint OF
the welfare OF the whole country, and
not from that Of supposed party expedi-
ency. This course will pay best in the
end; the opposite n will only bring
the party to grief, as it has done in the
past.
By all means let it not oppose any
proposal that would tend to put the cur
rency system on a sounder and more
scientific basis. Ours is the only en-
lightened country on the globe that
makes its currency system the football
Of politics. The attitude Of the Demo-
cratic party--or at least Of a strong ele.
ment Of it-on this question has made
the conservative business elements Of
the nation more or less d~istrustful OF it
ever since the issue Of ~greenbacks va.
specie resumption arose forty years ago.
In its record on this vitality important
question more than on any other the
Democratic party may read the Had Of
Its misfortunes; and il it has not at last
taken to heart it's lesson in this regard,
it is simply incapable of learning the
lessons Of experience. 1t is not likely
that the Republican party will ever
thoroughly revise the tariff in the In
terest Of the consumer, or maintain a
policy Of effective supervision and con-
troll Of railroads and the giant CONNER
cial industrial corporations of the o
try. The Democratic party will here
doubtless find Its great opportunity. In
timately connected with these questions
is that Of Labor, whose programme con-
tains much that the Democratic party
can support without committing itself
to the Equalization of the secondary
boycott and 8 driving into the Repub-
lican party, In sheer self-defense, hun
dreds of thousands Of business men
whose right to conduct their business
would be menaced with utter destruc-
tion.
And then there is the vitality import
ant matter Of compulsory publication Of
campaign contributions and expendi-
lures and the establishment Of other
guards against bribery and other
forms Of electoral corruption. But |
will not weary the reader with details.
In conclusion, let no Democrat lose faith
in the patriotism Of the American peo-
pie, or their capacity for self-govern-
ment, because they do not elect presi-
dents to his his liking. To do SO would
be to convict himself Of narrow-minded-
ness and conceit. Rely upon it, the
people will return the Democratic party
TO power whenever It shows real grounds
a presumption that it is more fit
than the Republican party to admins
Ter the nations affairs, probably even
Meanwhile let us while we
pray also for a consmmation 80
'devotly to be wished"--that we may
i've to lex a Southern Democrat again
occupying the chair Of Jefferson, and
The South restored to her ancient high
estate, to lead the Republic to greater
prosperity and enown
NATIVE MISSISSIPPIAN.
!