Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-11-10
Editorial Room, Telephone 80.
Americas, Ga, November 10, 1910.
WILL DEMOCRACY MEASURE UP TO
ITS RESPONSIBILITIES AND
OPPORTUNITIES

travagance and waste that has char.
acterized them under Republican con.
troll, weary of the domination of stats
and national governments by and II
the interest Of the few, weary of prom.
! Uses given only to be broken, of sol
enn pledges ignored and violated
weary of high prices OF living brought
about in some degree at least by Ia
riff exactions, weary of assaults on
states rights and the contracting ten.
denotes Of present-day Republican,
ism, the people have turned to the
Democratic party with the hope tina
once it is again established in power
it will demonstrate its fidelity to the
| popular interests and the rights of the
individual and institute reforms to,
ward the establishment of integri-
y and economy in government and the
unthrottling Of the grasp that specially
protected and highly privileged classes
have 80 long had upon the very life
Of the nation.
That would unquestionably seem TO
be the proper construction to place
upon the results of the election.
When great manufacturing states,
such as Massachusetts, New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut, the
states in which privilege has long bee
enthroned, where party bossism in
league with corporate interests has
long manipulated legislation against
the many, when these states repudlate
and overthrow those who have so long
he'd the political affairs of these com
monwealths in the hollow of their
hands, 1T is evident that there has
been an awakening of the public
conscience, that appeals to civic right
cousness have not fallen on deaf ears,
that self-protection has forced men Of
previous antagonistic political align
ments to forget past differences and
unite for the common purpose Of
purifying their governments, over
throwing the agencies of evil in public
life, and protecting popular rule and
the highest national interests from
exploitation by those WHO mRoosevelt
has we'll dubbed as "unscrupulous and
predatory"
The country has lost faith in the
Republican leaders and their willing
ness or ability to right past wrongs
and prevent future abuse of power
such as have marked their party's con-
troll of the government. The promp.
reputation of the pledge to revise
the tariff downward" came as a dis
inct shock to the national conscience,
awakened in recent years as it has
seldom been before. The vapid and
futile explanations and attempts to
Wh1teWash the party treacEery only
madethe situation worse. The dis
agreements among the Republican
leaders, the open secession Of those
who preferred the rule of the peopIe
TO the rule of an oigarchy OF protect
ed trusts and combines, all indicated
In advance that tEe day of retribution
was at hand. Tuesdays results came
as no surprise. They were merely a
confirmation Of popular opinion, the
registering Of the verdict of condem-
nation that had been uttered the
moment the people were so basely be-
traIyed through the Payne4Aldrich Ia
riff
Rcoseveltisn also unquestfonajblv
played its part in the political revo-
Mtion. The conservative elements
II the Republican party in the East
are weary of the spectacular perform
ances of the ex-president, disguised
with his ungentlemanly and untruth-
ful assaults upon those who differ with
him, alarmed at his assaults upon
judges and other officials who fail TO
bow TIE knee at his dictation, and
determined THAT no further adminis-
tration of the country shall be en-
trusted to his erratic hands. In New
York and Connecticut Roosevelt YVES
as much an issue as the tariff and the
exposed corruption of his party. And
the reputation OF itm is so complete
and so unmlstakable t1nt it would
seem to permanently eliminate htn
from the presidential possibilities two
years hence, nervy, reckless and con
temptuous of criticism and adverse
opinion though he may continue.
But what of Democracy's future?
Entrusted once more with so much
bower. will 1t use 1t wisely, judlciously,
solely for the peoples good? VIII It's
leaders In the states show to the world
that the confidence Of the people has
not again been misplaced VIII Dix
IN New York, wilson In New Jersey.
Foss, in Massachusetts, Harmon in
Ohio. and others in whose hands ad-
powers have been placed
be true to the trust. respect the conf
1ence, remember their ante-election
pledges and measure up to the higher
standards that the nation today de.
nands?
VIII they raise Democracy 10 a
higher pedestal in the public esteem
md pave the way to an even more
brilliant and more fruitful victory two
ears hence, to the restoration once
more of the party to national power
ind responsibility?
Upon them rests supreme obliga-