Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-02-23

Even if we were not willing to do so as
a matter of principle, then, when we
remember what happened to the re-
publicans last autumn because they
failed to keep faith with the people, we
should fulfill our promise as a matter of
expediency.
The masses of the people of all parties
are honest In their political 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 Knocked. The woeful plight of the re-
publicans is directly traceable to their
broken promises and should be a
sufficient warning and object lesson to
us. The sin of the republican party in
that regard was as scarlet, and its
punishment was swift, severe, and
deserved. 10 obtain property under
false pretenses is a penitentiary offense.
It's a pity that the same pains and
penalties do not attach to obtaining
office under false pretenses. The law
not permitting the imprisonment of the
republicans for carrying the election of
1908 by false pretenses, the people gave
them a thorough drubbing at the polls
l n 1910.
We have a golden opportunity coupled
with grave responsibilities. To us
success, not only in 1912, but for years
to come, is as easy as falling off a log,
and a slippery log at that. All that we
have to do is to fulfill our promises, fail
ing or neglecting to do that, it is back to
the wilderness for us. Most assuredly
we have had our quantum s%utficit, more
than our q%uantum meruit of wandering
in the wilderness. Men should say what
they mean and mean what they say.
Normal minds dissent from the immoral
dlctum that everything is fair in wal,
love and politics.
The promises most frequently made
in the last campaign were:
First, 70 revise the tariff down to a
reasonable, or revenue basis.
Second, To abolish C%annonism.
Third, To submit a constitutional
amendment providing for the election
of United States senators by popular
vote.
Fourth, 10 cut appropriations to the
needs of the government economically
administered
There are other promises to which L
may refer in II future article, but the
four which I have mentioned were, [
think, most frequently made and were
uppermost IN the public mind. Of the
four, the revision of the tariff was by
long odds the most important.
l am happy to say that democrats are
already carrying out their ante-election
promises. We have appointed a COM
mittee on committees. | cheerfully
assisted in that reform, though it will
somewhat curtail the power of the
speaker. The house should be a self
governing body and not an autocracy.
The establishment Of a committee on
committees together with other reforms
in the rules wrought in this congress by
the coalition of democrats and in
surgent republicans has overthrow
Cannonism and will, I believe, be of
great benefit in securing good legislation.
At our caucus on January 10, we elect
ed the chairman and the democratic
members of the committee en- ways and
means, who are also to constitute the
committee on committees. We did the
unprecedented thing of calling a caucus
of the democrats of the Sixty-second
congress six weeks before the life of that
congress begins, for the purpose of ex
pending tariff reform promptly
thoroughly, and intelligently, and there
by hastlng the redemption of our prom
Uses. All sorts of lurid prophesies were
INDUCED in by hostile papers and hostile
men about how we would go to pieces a
that caucus, and act the part of the Kill
kenny cats. AS a matter of fact it wal
one of the most harmonious caucus eve
held in Washington, a sort of democrati,
love-feast, where speech was absolutel,
free. There was much speech, but i
was all in a good natured way. Tha
caucus did much to puzzle and %confount
our enemies, also much to please ant
encourage democrats. So it is clear tina
we are keeping the faith as to reformin.
both the tariff and rules.
Over in the senate, the democrats, aid
ed by a handful of insurgent republi
cans, are keeping the faith by an homes
and earnest endeavor to submit a con
stitutional amendment providing for tn
election of United States senators b
popular vote. OF course the house will
pass it with a whoop as it has done il
five congresses. There never has been
| SnI1nd op corcfh1o orrvrroonf o1voraa.