Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-09-21
HOW DEMOCRATS WIN.

Dad" Wardwell of the Pembina
Pioneer Republican, in recent edi-
toral article indicates how the demo.
Gratis win elections-by taking advan'
tage of the difference among repub.
licans The democratic party has no
policies and no positivism-it is, as
was once said, like its emblem, the
jackass, without pride of ancestry or
hope of posterty. But every decade
or so, there arises a factional fight
in the ranks of the republicans, and
the democrats step in and profit by
it, until the hopeless inefficiency of
the party defeats it and restores the
republican party to power.
Such a condition threatens the
country now. The people Of this state
ought to know what democracy means
they have had some bitter expert
ence with it. Conditions in North Da.
kota, however, are more promising
than in many other states. The fac
tons in this state have gotten togeth-
er, there are leaders of both sides
nominated for office, and leaders of
both sides working for their election.
But in some other states the fractional
fight is still going on, and will until
the leaders come to their senses and
admit that neither side embodies all
the wisdom and all the patriotism.
Editor Wardwell says:
This writer was born and bred as
republican. But we have never been
"stalwart," "stand.patter," stand.
stiller," "insurgent" or progressive"
Just a simple republican. We be.
lieve that the great bulk of the repub.
lican party have been and are just
the same sort of republicans.
We have had our personal opinion
of such men as Cannon, Aldrich, Hale,
La Toilette, Cummins and others as
men and politicians. We have our
opinions of Colonel Roosevelt and OF
President Taft. We have some set.
tied beliefs on the question Of the
tariff and of the manner in which it
was handled by the last congress-
We have some settled convictions on
the subjects of capital and labor and
of the legislation that has been made
in respect to the regulations of the
monopolies Of each of these.
. We believe that three-fourths of the
rank and file of the republican party
OF this country agree with us in our
opinions. Then what is the matter
with the republican party?
If the bulk of the rank and file are
all right, then the inevitable conclu-
sion is, the fault is with the leaders
of the party 1t is very easy to lead
men or sheep in the direction they
wish to go. But when the flock,
whether of men or sheep, will not
follow their shepherds, then some
thing is wrong either with the flock
or the herders.
Just now, the shepherds seem to be
trying to force the partisans into 60
ing two ways at once. When two
forces of equal power are opposed,
the result is no motion whatever.
The bulk of the republican party are
today in this position. They are in
active. The rest of the party that are
in motion are moving in the direction
of democracy.
Perhaps the greater trouble with
the leaders is that each lot, whether
they are regulars, stand-patters, insur-
tents, Rooseveltians, Tafties or what
nots, each think they are the party.
Mr.. Roosevelt assumes that he and
his ideas are the only true patterns.
Mr.. Cannon thinks that there would
be no party left if he vacated the
speakers chair. Mr.. La Toilette pro-
claims that he is the great John the
Baptist of the new dispensation, etc.
For the last two years all these
men and many others have been en-
yaged in telling the party and the
eat of the world how bad others are