The gold leaf., 1910-02-24

Raleigh State Democrat.
1t is stated the Democrats in Hen
lerson, Vance county, held mass
meeting last week and resolved that
Local Self-Government" should be
the party's slogan in the next cam
paign. This is simply the beginning
OF a political revolution in party
government in our State 1t is what
ought to and what must come, if the
party would hold it's ascendancy
in the State. The people are just
waking up to a realization of what
has happened to them. A large
number of the elective Offices have
passed from their control. Their
local affairs have been taken out OF
their hands and are dictated by those
who know nothing of their local con-
ditiOns and in no way share their
burdens of taxation and other nee
cessary responsibilities.
We confess it with profound regret,
but there is no use to conceal the
truth-the leaders OF the Democratic
party, with the idea that they could
bring into service all sorts of unhar-
monious elements, have eliminated
from the platform the only principle
upon which it was possible for the
party to have gotten in possession
of the affairs of the State The echos
from Vance's speeches in the West,
and from RansOm's in the East, met,
as it were, in the State capitol, pro-
claiming the Immortality of Democ-
racy when founded upon the distinc-
tive principle of loca! self-govern-
ment. 1t was the proclamation of
this principle which kept the spark of
! hope alive in the breasts of men who
year after year witnessed defeat at
the ballot box. 1t was this principle
of local self-government which caused
them to close their eyes, and, listen
ing to the inspiring words of their
leaders, they marched on, year by
year, walking literally by faith and
not by sight. 1t was for the fullest
vindication of this cardinal principle
of Democracy, and for its safe and
permanent application, that they
said, Let the vicious, the unfit
citizen, wh0<neither knows nor cares
what is for the States best interest,
cease his voting till he shall increase
| his knowledge, better his morals, and
! so acquire safer and better right to
citizenship in his State"
1t was to secure this principle that
the Democrats fought out political
battle, the tenseness and fierceness
| of which was never before witnessed
in times OF peace.
It's no wonder that men like these
refuse now to surrender the first
fruits of what cost SO much to graf
ify the impractical whims of the sen
timental in their chase for ghosts
and shadows.
We do not know when the Demo.
cratic party expects to unload its
rubbish-we came near saying its
garbage, but we will not. But We
expect to live to see it; it's worth
fighting for; and if this writer did
not expect to see the old mistress
the only mistress he has, too, after
he has cleared well the sill of his own
front gate-take her place, look over
and direct the affairs OF her house
hold, as in the years that are gone
he would this very day strip himself
of every vestige of party harness
from the hame-string to the crupppr
and throw it to the Junk pile. The
Israelites never could have made
Democrats, else they never would
have followed Moses Democrats
have no great leaders; it's fortunate
for them. It's better for every mar
to read and hear for himself; then h'
is persuaded in his own mind as tC
both his duty and his rights as 6
citizen.