Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-08-12
Is the Breakup Coming?

In General Grants lifetime there were
indications that the Republican party was
losing it's grip, and we remember that in
1874 congress reversed itself so actively
that the Democrats obtained 7o-odd ma
jority in the house of representatives.
Somebody went TO General Grant and
, asked him what was going to happen
He replied, There is always going to be
a Republican party. so long as there Is
a Democratic party"
Urged a little further he added. IT have
always found that the Democrats lose
their head Cor words to that effecD when
they get in power; and am not alarmed
over the situation"
We saw, however, that Mr.. Tilden only
: missed the presidency by a scratch and
Mr.. Cleveland did get in ten years later,
and at one time the senate and the house
were both controlled by Democrats. But
things have been going wild since 1880,
and the Republicans intrenched them
selves in power by playing into the hands
of gigantic corporate interests.
So long as the solid south was promi-
nent under Mr. Bryan's leadership the
Republicans continued to brace them
, selves in their opportunities. The bloody
shirt could bring out both the political
armies and the north, east and west were
But there came a time when the people
of the west began to ask themselves,
"Are we not paying too high price for
party control?"
The railroads, which had been granted
untold and unmeasured benefits and boun-
ties, showed their cloven feet They
pinched down so hard on. producers and
shippers that the people became FESTIVE
and elected senator's and representatives
to congress pledged to demand relief from
extortion and tyranny.
Then what happened7
When relief measures were presented 10
congress the cloven feet peeped out under
desks of members who were placed in
congress to guide and guard those great
corporate interests, and the speaker OF
the house was evidently on the same
side and doing what he was expected to
do by those who selected him for that
purpose.
1t reached a pass when four men con-
trolled all legislation in the house, and
one man, Senator Aldrich. in the SEN
ate. They got 1t down fine. 70 use a
slang phrase. There was nothing do
ing unless they stamped it their own, and
1t has been charged that the speaker
eye was so carefully trained that he
couldn't see but one faction Of the party
to which he belonged
So 1t became intolerable to those who
were allowed no opportunity to present
the protests of their own constituents
after they had gives solemn pledges they
would certainly do so, and the Tight cui-
minated when the committee on rules 0he
big FOUR were openly and violently re-
buked by insurgents. belonging to their
| own party; and the whole business would
have been reversed but for certain Demo
Gratis who preferred to keep the favor
of Speaker Cannon. and the good VIII OF
powerful corporate interests.
But it is generally SO, when favors fol-
low fawning. and human nature will show
itself the same In seeking help and power
the world over.
And these reYolutionists are fighting to
hold their victory, and fighting Ike
valiant soldiers all over the great west.
Some will likely go down in defeat, for
II is a gigantic struggle. when plain
voters are pitched against great amounts
of campaign money and have to deal with
political corruptionists who obey their
masters. When the Pacific railroads un-
dertook to rob the taxpayers OF the mil
lions loaned by the government TO oullo
them we saw the cloven foot under the
desks OF both Republicans and Demo
Gratis; and the country became disguised
to find corruption In both parties on that
occasion. These false public servants
gave a black eye to all the Democratic
sfrorts at reform, and preferred the Re-
publican grafters to the Democratic
Mathematics