The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-04-06
DEMOCRACY MUST BE PROGRES.
SIYE AND DEMOCRATIC

TO the Editor: Your letter of the
18th, and your editorial in the News
and Observer of the 18th called my at
tention, for the first time, to the sate-
ment published in the Catawha County
News, connecting my name with the
organization of a progressive Demo-
cratic party in which Democrats and
progressive republicans, having the
same party, in cantions can unite.
/ note the statement in your let
ter that this paragraph from the Cat
aWba County News has been copied
in other papers in the State. and
your request for a statement from
me for publication.
/ confess l would like to see the
Democratic party more progressive
than it has been, and believe the pro-
gressive sentiment in it should be or
ganiZed to make it SO. A large ma
jority of the Democrats in the State
stand for the right things, and the
party should be rescued by them
from those who misrepresent it. The
majority of the Democrats being sound
in principle and sincere inpurpose, it
SAOOOE I'll b. 10 ~ Viz OO11OHO
in equal rights and no special privi-
leges, and who constitute this ma
jority, to utilize this organization for
the accomplishment of needed and
unselfsh reforms. Political parties
are meal to an end.
| am a party man and I belong to
the Democratic party because / want
to cooperate with those, who believe
as / do, to the end that we may write
our principles into law, and then in
fuence those, charged with that duty,
to enforce the laws courageously and
fairly.
Others evidently belong to the Dem
ocratic party in order that they may
confuse it's counsels and pervent it's
aims.
/ am thoroughly tired of being mis-
represented by Democratic office
holders, and of fighting sham-battles.
Not only a vast majority of the Dem
Ocrats, but I believe a large majority
of those who affiliate with the Repub-
lican party-the privates in the ranks
are in favor of real government by
the people and for the people.
Those who serve the interests
and who betray the people are in the
minority, but they have the advantage
Of being organized. They are found
in both parties and they have been
able to misrepresent the majority with
out paying the penalty, because that
majority is unorganiZed, and, there
fore. accepts feigned issues, and tolera-
tes betrayals.
We write platforms for tariff re-
duction, and look on helplessly while
u representatives. upon one pre-
text or another, vote against lowering
the tariff.
We declare against subsidies, and
then re-elect Democrats who stand
for them.
We have distinguished, in our plat
forms. between legitimate business
on the one hand and private mono,
poly on the other, and have declared
that the former should be fostered,
and the latter should be destroyed;
and when those elected to represent
us are put to the test we see the
trusts protected upon the pretense that
to destroy them will hurt business;
and thus the process of accommodating
illeg1timate millions in the pockets
of the few while the masses struggle
for the n-ecessaries of life, goes on,
We declare in favor of government
by the peoDle. and see7 the legalized
primary, which gives every man an
equal voice in government defeated
upon the representations of a few
that will "ruin the party"
The march of events is in the right
direction. Progress is the order of
the day. The man who does not see
that the sway of the political trick
ster and the petty boss is at an end
is blind.
Many good men in Congress, and
il the Legislature, as we'll as ont
have been misled and deceived by the
MISREPRESENTATION of a few designing
adherents of the Interests"
/ Only a few days ago it was stated
on the floor of the State SenateS as
a reason for defeating an antitrust
bill that the farmers who raise tnha-
co are satisfied with the prices maid
them. During TIE same week a few
members of the House of Representa-
tivesa from the west. urged the defeat
of the legalized primary. because the
neople did not want it ard to give It
TO them would he disastrous t. ITO
Democratic party. Neither statement
was trre.
I realize that there are some men in
the democratic party who will disagree
with practically all I am saying, but
I am sure these men are in the MINI
ority, and the time is here when the
majority must control in these mat
ters; and ! believe that the Demo-
craticparty should so adjust itself as
to be the means through which this
majority can give expression to its
desires. 1t would be unwise to longer
ignore, or attempt to harmonic fun
damental and irreconcilable differ
ences. There are two men in the Re-
publican party who will agree with
LaFollette and Rristow. to everv one
in the Democratic party who stands
with RaiIev and Murnhv.
Those who have written the plat
forms and believe in the partv's pro.
f~essions must not longer permit it to
;, be mis~represented, either bv those
| ryh4 10 not DrOfo11 ~ hn1iouo iR1 I0o