Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1908-07-29
ARE WE TO HAVE A RATIONAL
 CAMPAI0N7

The existence of two or more great political parties, with their organiza' tion, leadership and machinery of pro- paganda, is extremely desirable in this country. There are evils, of course, in eident to their existence and workings, but the good far overbalances the evil. And it is all the better if at least two of these parties arc pretty evenly bal. anced. Their keen rivalry and sleep less vigilance of each other, and the ease with which the center of gravity and of power may be shifted from one to the other, has a powerful influence in keeping them on their good beha- vior. Freedom of opinion, of discus sion and of political action is the very breath of life to democracy, remarks the San Jose Mercury. If the free ex' precision of political opinion is smother cd, or the free political action of the citizen is hindcred or suppressed, there is an end of democracy. Nothing is left but nH oligarchy or autocracy. Practically this may be done, and sometimes is done, as effeeutally by the caucus, and the shrewd manage. mept of the machine as can be done by restricting laws bneked up by physical force; t is necessary not only that fresdon of opinion and of discussion be guaranteed, bat also things must be so ordeIed that, when the citizen goes to the polls ne shall have, some liberty of cbeiea, and not be obliged simply to tsksy than program, or turn idly away. Hut the eitizen, if be expects his opin. ions and principles to become effective, must be ready to combine and cooper. ate with others who, ip the main, are ikeminded with himself, If he insists on acting simply as an individual, or as a unit, and upon having his own pre- else way down to the smallest psrticu. lar, then he is a freak or a crank, not to say fool.
 Great political parties are formed on broad lines, stand for certain central and controlling principles and policies, and it is not to be expected taat they will endorse everything that everybody may believe in, or that they will an. tagonize everything that anybody op. poses. No combination for any pur. pose could be formed on such a plan.
 And, as already said, it is to the ad. vantage of the country when at least two great parties are fairly well matched. This makes the stronger careful. If any party comes to be- heve that it has n secure and perma. nent tenure of power, and of the pat ronage that goes with power, it is cer- tain to become degenerate, and that rapidly. All the demagogues, place. hunters and corrupt politicians in the country will flock to its standard. Where the carcass is, there the vul lures win he gathered together. or there will be an inevitable drift to. wards the capitalization of power in few hands, and so on to an oligarchy, or even monarchy. All the perished republics of history have died along this path, or at the end of it. Hence the universal shakingup of the people now and then in great political con test is of extreme advantage to the country; and especially if the outlook is more or less dubious as to the result. II brings n day of judgment for parties and for public men, and day of gen. cral political house.cleaning.
 Our political campaigns, especially our great quadrennial campaigns, arc essential in a huge democracy like ours. No doubt there are certain incidental evils inseparable from them. There is a large expenditure, not to say waste, of time and money; there is serious dis turbance of industrial and commercial interests; there is a vast deal of loud, excited and foolish talk, very great