The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1911-02-03

victory as by republican victory, then
the democratic party would not repre-
sent the principles that it should. If
democratic victories are to become as
much or more useful to privilege than
a continuance of republican control,
then that kind of democracy is not
worth fighting for These are not real
democrats who favor turning over the
party organization to privilege in re
turn for large campaign contributions,
on the theory that is the way to win.
Under such leadership the democratic
party would lose even if successful at
the polls, for it would be untrue to its
own principles, and to the people it is
opposed to serve.
There has been too much shouting
Of party names and too little teaching
of the principles that political parties
are supposed to stand for When a
man says what principles of govern
ment he believes in, it is not always
easy to tell from that what party he
belongs to- and when a man says what
party he belongs to, it is not always
easy to know what principles of gov
eminent he believes in.
The democratic party should make
an aggressive fight for progressive
democratic principles. 1t is not essen
tial that we always win, but it is es-
sential that we be true to democratic
deals. 1t is not necessary that we sue
coed, but 1t is necessary that we keep
faith if democracy is to live. More
was gained for the people in the
Bryan campaigns that ended in appar-
ent defeat than would have been ac-
complished by the barren victory of
leaders controlled by the powers that
prey. These campaigns wrought a
revolution in the public conscience,
and aroused the people to the need Of
reform. Underlying these campaigns,
and greater than any special issue,
was the struggle of humanity against
the oppression of plutocracy, of men
against dollars and of conscience
against creed. Through these cam
paigns the people were awakened and
they are ready now to give the har-
vest to be reaped from theasOwing OF
the seeds of truth. While it is better
to lose with the right than to win with
| the wrong, we can be right and win
| also.
/ Under the present aroused state of
public opinion democracy will triumph,
| unless it for sordid reasons deserts
! the people and enters into wanton al
lance with privilege. That we have
representatives of privilege in our par
ty no one can deny, and the effort
| be to lessen their influence as much
/ as possible. We cannot prevent some
| of them being in the party, but we
! should keep them from running the
party. We ought not to permit the
party to be prostituted to the service
of selfish interests, or to be made
! the tail to the kite of monopoly.
There is an independent spirit now
in evidence over the country and it
I is to this spirit we must appeal. The
party must convince the people not
what it proposes to do for itself, but
what it can do for them.
The vote in the last election was an
expression of lack of confidence or
the part of the people in the republi.
can party. 1t was negative vote inso
far as the republican party is con,
cerned rather than a positive vote il
favor of the democratic party. The
democratic party must now make
good and if it does, the chances are
very bright for an overwhelming vic.
tory in 1912.
A crisis has been reached in the af
: fairs of the nation. Pick up a papel
any day and one will find accounts O
thievery and graft What does i
mean2 Is corruption becoming ma
tional disease? Is there something il
our system of government that en-
courages men to violate the command
ment, Thou shalt not steal?' Is no
, the government itself in sense t,