The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-01
CIT IS TIME FOR
 A CHANGE" By Honorable Richmond P. Hobson, Member of Con- gress from Alabama
'(Issued by the Press Bureau, Nation
 al Democratic League of Clubs. All rights reserved.)

The law of change is universal and any organism that refuses to obey this law Mffers severe penalties at the hands Of nature. The law ap- plies to every organism from blade of grass to the highest thing of civ ilization. The refusal of society to accept this law brought on the suf- ferings of the dark ages throughout Europe. To-day in. the age of science the necessity for change is becoming vastly increasing. The annthilat1on of space is revolutionizing the condi- tions of human life upon the earth. In fact the institutions of society must be thoroughly readjusted and recon structed. This principle of change IS accepted in every successful business, not only in rapid and frequent change of material but of men and of meth ods. One has but to recall the rapid transformation in transportation ana in manufacture, in commerce and in finance AS rapid as the change has been in all parts of the civilized world, it has been more rapid in the United States. It is in our country that the necessity for change in our institu- tions is therefore most urgent. The penalty for damming up reform can only be washing away of the dam, Tor evolutional reform must come. It IS this principle of reform, with checks put upon it, that lies at the founda- tion of the two great parties in our country where self-government exists. One party is the party of reform; ana the other party, known as the conser- vative party, is the party to check re- form when 1t tends to run wild. It is logical that the, party in power most of the time should be the liber- al party, the party of reform, and the party in opposition should be the conservative party. The conditions for nearly one half century have been contrary to this natural position and the time is more than ripe for a change. Even with the party that logically should be in power most or the time, it is necessary to have change from time to time on account of the weakness of human nature, for the party in power before long will give way to its. besetting sins. With the conservative party wishing to keep the Government further away from the people the besetting sin is that it will come to block all reform, become reactionary and become the stronghold of those interests that seek Nto prey upon the people, whereas the weakness of the liberal party is that it may become too liberal and become radical. The liberal party has not
  is no question of the manifestation of its weakness, whereas the conserva- tive party has been in power for nearly one half a century against all the laws of change, and has long since become the refuge of interests preying upon the people. So reac- tionary has it become that the lower house of the legislative branch, the only part of the three great Depart ments of the Government that be- longs to the people directly, the House of Representatives, has become, not the agent and handmaid of the peo- ple. to express and execute their will, but the instrument, where under the power of the Speaker and the system of Committees, the will of the people could be and has been thwarted. Fur thermore the general effects of the long unbroken tenure of office of any party in power, with all the tendency of extravaganza and corruption have manifested themselves on all sides, emphasizing the necessity for change. On all sides appear the need of gen. eral cleaning up and every Depart ment of the Government is in need or a new policy of retrenchment econ- omy and efficiency. To secure these results. one can not rely upon the party responsible for their existence. It is in vain that some look to an insurrec
 tion in the Republican Party to bring about the reform of the party. The only practicable way to reform any party is to turn it out. When under the administration of any party, con- ditions become bad and the necessity arises for a change it must be held responsible and must suffer the con- sequences of such conditions. From each and every angle that we view existing conditions throughout the country we are driven to the emphatic conclusion that there is urgent neces- sity for a change. This means that the whole march of events demands the restoration of the Democratic Par ty to power at the next general cleo ton.
 It is significant that at this junc- ture that the harmonious and effi- cient action of the Democratic ma- jority of the House of Representatives, | has demonstrated to the people that 1 the great Democratic Party is equal l to the great demands of this period of | change and is prepared to assume the | of administering the | affairs of this great Government as l soon as the months shall roll by when | the people can give their command | at the next general election.
 R. P. ROBSON.
 PERSONAL MENTION.