Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-07-15
where il the Differe nce7

I have just read Judge MiIlett's re-
ply to my article of the Gath of June
in reference to the difference be-
tween the Democratic and Re2ubli-
can parties. While have the great
est respect for the writer and admire
his candor and honesty, am still of
the opinion that he, like hundreds of
others, is doing the Democratic
party great injustice, by placing it in
the same category with the d. o. p
o party whose legislation for the past
tw" decades at least. has been SO
manifestly corrupt and degrading
toward the wealth-producing class of
the country that many of the leading
members of the party have protested
in the strongest terms against its
moral cnssedness. OF course it is to
oe expected that the Socialist party,
If it expects to succeed in bringing
about the revolution intended by the
party, must condemn all other par
ties and the Democratic must neces-
sarily come under the ban. l con-
tend there is no need of the Socialist
party if the principles Of the Demo
cratic party are carried out, and
there is no reason why they should
not be. A pure democracy means a
rule by the people. or, in in other
words, government by consent OF the
governed. What more does social
ism contend for Can our Socialist
friends guarantee better system Of
government than that from the in
ceptiOn Of our government up to
1850? The whole world recognized
it as the best government on earth,
and it was declared by all nations to
be the land Of the free and the home
Of the Jrare." To-day it is the land
OF the exploiter and the home OF the
white slave. instead of the black.
Under the corrupting influence of the
d. o. p. legislation, through our pro-
tective tariff, our national banking
system, our granting Of special priv
ileges al infaitum to combines,
trusts and syndicates, our once
land of the free is fast passing
into the hands of an oligarchy that
will crush out the spirit OF freedom
and patriotism that heretofore has
been the boast OF the American
people
Is it any wonder that parties are
springing up on every hand for the
purpose of crushing the cause that is
producing these dire results =? The
Socialists are doing q good work in
educating the people as to conditions,
but in my opinion they are wrong in
censuring a party for maintaining
the very principles for which they
are contending, namely, Government
by consent Of the governed" My
friend Millett, like many others, don t
seem to discriminate between men
and principles. Men are transitory,
while principles are eternal, and in
fallibility is not u human virtue.
We find dishonest men in all parties
and professions; because we find, as
he says, and truthfully, dishonest men
in the Democratic party it does not
prove the ineOrrectness of the princi-
pies. 1t is the formation of new
parties, embracing practically the
principles of the Democratic party,
that has kept the d. o. p. party in
power, and it has been the policy of
the d. O. p. to encourage those new
parties on the we'll known principle
United we stand, divided we fall. T"
If we except the elimination of the
competitive system and the elimina-
ton OF all title to property, there is
very little difference Socialism and
Democracy. Then why denounce a
party that has done more for the
good of humanity. in the everlasting
principles of justice than any other
ever framed by the ingenuity of man
Why not join hands with the Demo-
cratic party in hurting from its
throne of despotic power, this octo-
pus of greed and despotism before it
is too late Discretion is the bet.
ter part OF valor." ]. c. Cos.