The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-01-12
The Plutocratic Press.


lily engaged in its quadrennisl task
of selecting the Presidential tickets
of the two leading parties. Its adj
vice may be taken by the Republic.
cans but 1t cannot speak for the
Democrats-the campaign of 1904 Is
too fresh In the minds of the rank
and file OF the party.
A brief review OF the past fourteen
years may be helpful just now. I'm
til the stare conventions Of 1896 be-
gan to meet, the plutocratic papers
never knew that there was any sent
iment in favor Of the restoration of
bimetallism or, II they did know it
they kept their readers in ignorance
When the platform was written (and
1t was written before Mr.. Bryan be-
came member OF the resolutions
committee-the money plank which
he wrote about two weeks before the
convention being almost his only
contribution to it, and this was In
the language Of the platform adopted
by q majority OF the conventions
the plutocratic papers at once bolted
and supported the Republican tick.
ct. After the election they began to
"reorganizen the Democratic party
and they kept 1t up with seeming
confidence of success until the state
conventions of 1900 began to instruc,
for Mr.. Bryan. After his nomina.
ton nearly all the plutocratic papers
bolted again, in spite of the fact that
the money question was no longer
the paramount issue.
When the election was over they
again started out to recognize the
Democratic party. This time they
succeeded; two defeats had dIscour,
aged many Democrats and Wall
Streets offer to finance the cam.
paign and insure u victory was ac.
cepted. In 1904 our party had the
distinguished honor of receiving the
encouragement Of all the plutOcratiC
papers, Democratic and Republican,
until after the conventions; then the
Republican portion began to point
out, regretfully but positively, the
Importance OF electing IA Republican
President. The plutocratic papers
which use the Democratic name for
n blind continued to support the
Democratic ticket, alternately Of
fering suggestions as to how to win
and cOngratulating the party on cut.
ting loose from the voters. The
support given by these papers
aroused SO much suspicion among
the rank and file that the party pOlled
million and quarter less votes
than it had in 1896 and in 1900.
The rcbuke in 1904 was so severe
that the plutocratic press found ii
impossible to make much Roadway
in 1905, although ii did all the bush
whaCking it could. The money
question was entirely eliminated in
1905, but the underlying issue was
the same as in 1896 aud In 1900, Dem.
ucracy vs.. PlutoCracy, and the Plut.
OcratlC papers lined up with the Re.
publicans again. They threatened
all kinds Of calamity if Wall Street
was disturbed. Having contributed
to three defeats llS96, 1900 and 1905
by opposing the ticket and to II much
worse defeat lDOi) by supporting
the ticket, they come forth aud i'm
! pudently offer advice to the party IN
| the coming campaign. They insist
| that the party must repudiate the
platform of 1905 and make its nppea
| to the predatory interests. No one
is To be considered as n candidat,
unless he can show that in the cru,
cial campaign of 1896, when the par
| ~ began its fight for reforms, h,
! helped Wall Street or that he has
| since that time been converted t
4 Wall Street methods.
Can the voters of the Democratic
party be deceived? viii it allow tn,
organization to pass into the hand
OF those who stand for the explOita
ton OF the people. When, six year
ago, the Wall Street crowd con
trolled the party the name DemOcra
almost disappeared in the west anC
the populist party became for
midable force In the south. AT tn,
present time socialism IL appealing
to the dissatisfied aud the adoption
OF n reactionary policy by the Demo
Gratis is sure to swell the ranks o
the socialists as their ranks wer,
swollen in 1904.
When the plutocratic papers joil
the Democratic party they do 1t t.
disgrace 1.-THE reason given by tn
young fellow who married into
family he did not like. The Com
mOner.