The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-03-01
l. the Democratic Party Progressive? ?

In the sense that a political party is
composed Of men Of like political
ideas, ] believe that a new political
party as been born. Its members are
in both Of the old parties, and in the
absence Of the sincere adoption Of
progressive principles by one or the
other Of the present parties the or
ganization Of new party as such to
solve the problems confronting ns will
"e brought about.
The Democratic party if true to its
traditional principles should be the
progressive party, adopting in the
main the propaganda Of the progress
siNes, much If VII ich is Democratic in
its origin ana fairly consistent with
that party's platform.
trust that the Democracy will
recognize this obligation, but before
this can be done the Democracy must
face serious internal struggle.
That there must also be a new
alignment Of party membership seems
clear. The growth Of the country
the facility FOR accommodation
has lessened the opposition to GEN.
traliZation to such q degree that
greater federal direction in many ways
is recognized as necessity, and many
Democrats as we'll as Republicans are
in favor of it, provided it be surround-u
ded with proper safeguard
lne tariff is now recognized as q
local issue" (to borrow General
Hancock's famous phrase) to be adj
justed with regard to general econo-
mic rather than individual needs, and
| such being the case there is little ba-
sis of distinction as to principIe be-
tween the two parties, unless we
! agree that the future will lind us
with a conservative party represent
ing wealth and reaction, and a pro-
gressive party responsive to the needs, b,
OF the hour, and it may be a consist
emily radical party without interfer-
ence with legitimate business inter-
ests.
The suggestion is now made that
Roosevelt, La Toilette, and others will
convert the Republican party into a
radical and that when this occurs theA
Democratic party will become thS
conservative party, representing the
So-called "interests" or nri,,;Io..
owning classes, who will furnish IL
with the financial means for victory at
the polls, and the intimation also fol-
lows that as now constituted these in
terests regard the Democratic party
as the safer party for them, a view
largely taken in the last New York
State campaign by men identified with
important corporations.
There is, however, a large body of
Democrats who feel that the partyk
must not allow itself to be controlled
by the interests and that it must drive
the interests away from it, and that
1t can only do so by adopting and
sive as to make any alliance between
the vested interests and the holders
of privilege within the DemocracN
impossible.
In the internal struggle, however,
the Democracy has to purge itself of
these Democrats for profit, and wheth-
er it is to be the progressive party
must depend upon the result Of this.
contest. To succeed in this endeavor
we must recognize that the problems
suggested by the progressive are not
only economic and political but have
their basis in matters largely ethical
and gravely personal.
The cry must not be only for
specific reforms advocated but for theS
elimination Of the men who stand for
graft and privilege. These men are
equally in force in both parties. They
work together or separately as the
interests may dictate. They are OBJ
structionists to real reforms, and
their influence must be destroyed, oth-~
erwise we shall have pretensions and
palliatives instead Of remedies. The
Democratic party for the future must
recognize that there cannot be any
reform meriting success so long as
they have vestige Of influence in the
party.-S. Stanwood Menken, in the
American Review of Reviews.