The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-04-28

SAASA HoAy AOy 0ASys UuI III tul6 Ohy
few men proclaim themselves parti-
sans. and the few who do so under
stand that they subject themselves to
q censure which assumes that q par
tisan is something less than a patriot.
Naturally and inevitably as party
lines disappear, party creeds fall into
q confusion. and the tendency to elect
candidates according to their personal
merits or demerits, rather than ac-
cording to the principles which they
represent, becomes almost irresist-
ible.
MANY good men hail this as sign
Of better government, but am unable
to subscribe to that opinion. They
would be right II this were govern
ment Of men, but they must be wrong,
as long as this remains government
Of laws.
"A man without any party or
man processing to belong to, one party
and yet acting with another may, be
an uhSelnsh pltsiot, and sincerely,
anxious to promote: the public: goSd,
but his candidacy for an Office or his
incumbency Of an Office must tend to
diminish in the public mind the Inn
portance Of persons.
"This has been the great and grow
ing evil in American politics for the
last fifteen years. Our campaigns, state
and national, have turned more upon
the personality of the candidates than
upon the principles Of the party. The
Injurious effect Of all this has been
and is, that IL the people happen to
like man they will support what he
advocates with blind infatuauon,
and they are ready to reject even the
soundest principles or the wisest poll
icies when advocated by a man who
does not happen to enjoy their favor,
"The end to which this must lead
in country like ours is 80 plain that
have often been appalled, by the
number Of our fellow-citizens who
seem Indifferent to it.
III we continue for another fifteen
years in the course which we have
followed for the last fifteen years, and
II the tendency is accelerated in the
same proportion. we will have no such
thing in this country as q political
party based on fundamental principles
OF the government, or even based up-
on fixed and well established policies;
and our elections will be determined
entirely according to the men who
offer themselves as candidates. :
Should there be any conditions i'm
posed by any one wishing to return
to the Democratic party Senator
Bailey was asked.
"No man." he replied, Should be
invited into the Democratic party who
does not cherish its principles and
no man who does cherish them should
be excluded. want every man who
10 q Democrat In the party, and want
every man who is not q Democrat
out Of 1t. would welcome the sup
port of all Independent voters, of
course. but will never agree to OBJ
tain their support by conceding away
the great principles Of our party.
II am drm In the conviction that
the only road to permanent success
for either individual or parties lies
in an unyiehing adherence to what
they believe to be right. II we could
once more induce the Democratic
party in every state and in the union
to reconsecrate itself to those great
principles which once constituted its
strength and its glory, we could again
enlist q majority Of these people un-
der our banner, and we would govern
the country with q justice and a wis
dom that would repeat our history
from 1900 to 1860. during which time
we lost but three presidential elec-
tions. and never lost two in success
sion.
IF, rejecting all isms and fads, we
will set our faces resolutely in favor
Of our ancient principles. without
stopping to count whether it spells
victory or defeat, we will make our
future secure; but as long as we pal
ter with great issues we can neither
restore ourselves to the confidence of
the people nor bring this government
back to the principles on which its
founders intended that it should be