The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-03-09
INE DUTY OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY

career II was one VI 'AN ~ o"'
~ st. Paul that he had kept the
.vh." boast amply justified by
~. facts. We democrats should
.,,,ov the example and emulate the
aaelity of the great apostle. so far
:. IN rs lies. Last November. we
..ntured one of the three citadels of
,euublicanism. the house Of repres-
s,t.tiyes: two remain in their pos
.os,on. the White House and the
.e,,te. The only way we can hope
N make a clean sweep in 1912 is to
.een faith with the people by reli-
,ously fulfilling every promise that
70 made in order to win in the
house This should be done as a
matter of principle, simply because
1, ,s right. Even if we were not
Wiling to do so as a matter of prin-
eiple. then, when we remember what
happened to the republicans last
.utumn because they failed to keep
faith with the people. we should full
MI our promise as a matter of eX-
oediency. The masses of the people
Of all parties are honest in their pol
itical opinions, and. deserve TO be
treated honestly, fairly and candidly.
They are entitled to that square
deal of which We hear so much and
see so little. They will not be mock
ed, The woeful plight of the repub
lcans is directly traced to their bro
Ken promises and should be a suffi
Gent warning and object lesson 10
us. The sin of the republican party
In that regard was as scarlet, and
its punishment was swift. severe and
deserved. To obtain property under
false pretenses is a penitentiary Of
tense. It's a pity that the same
pains and penalties do not attach to
obtaining Offices under false pre-
lenses. The law not permitting the
Imprisonment of the republicans for
carrying the election of 1908 by
false pretenses, the people gave them
drubbing at the polls in 1910.
We have golden opportunity
coupled with grave responsibilities
To us success, not only in 1912. but
for years to come, is as easy as fall
ing off log, and g slippery log at
that. All that We have to do is TO
fulfill our promises; failing or ne
glecting to do that, it is back to the
wilderness for us. Most assuredly
We have had our quantum sufficit,
more than our quantum meuit of
wandering in the wilderness. Men
should say what they mean and
mean what they say. Normal minds
dissent from the immortal dictum
that everything is fair in war, love
and politics.
The promises most frequently
made in the last campaign we're:
First, To revise THE tariff down
70 reasonable. or revenue basis.
Second, To abolish Cannonism.
Third, To submit a constitution.
u amendment providing for the ell
ection Of United States senators by
popular vote.
Fourth, To cut appropriations to
inc needs Of the government econom-
ically administered.
There are other promises to which
J may refer in a future article. but
inc -FOUR which have mentioned
we're, think, most frequently made
and were uppermost in the public
mino. or the four. the revision Of
me tariff was by long odds the most
important.
am happy to say that democrats
sre already carrying out their ante
e'ection promises. We have appoint
I" Z committee on committees.
cneerfully assisted in that reform.
'nough 1t will somewhat curtail the
vo"er OF the speaker. The house
'uouid be a self-governing body and
Aot an autocracy. The establishment
VI q committee of committees to-
ee'ner with other reforms in the
'u'es wrought in this congress by the
'oailtlon Of democrats and insur-
gent republicans has overthrow
0annonism, and will believe. be Of
s'eat benefit in securing good lcgis-
lation.
AT our caucus on January 10, we
''ected the chairman and the demo-
''atic members Of the committee on
ways and means, who are also to
"astltute the committee on commit
ices. We did the unprecedented
Jung OF calling a caucus of the dem
0crats Of the Sixty-second congress
'A weeks before the life of that con-
s'ess begins. for the purpose of ex-
peQlt1ng tariff roforr, rroont1y