Semi-weekly herald., 1912-06-17
PARTY IDENTIFICATION.

The student of political history
)tes with interest the political
langes that have been brought about
the last quarter of a century, 10y
ty to party has been weakening and
day it is matter of general conf
ient that there is no well marked
ne dividing the Democrats from the
epublicans. 1t is true that the cam
aign speakers and many newspapers
ndeavor to convince the public that
: is much of an honor to be a good
Republican" or loyal Democrat a5
. was a quarter of a century ago.
But the day has passed when men
will give much attention to such false
statements.
However, it is difficult matter to
break away from ones political envir-
,nments even if they become unsat-
sfactory and even quite uncomfort-
Z able. 1t is human to cling to those
associations of a generation or a life
time even when they are not in hcr-
mony with your desires. Notwith-
standing this human weakness it is
/ quite evident that the time has about
arrived when even the vote for a
yellow dog" Republican or Democrat
mgst see that the line. that twenty
five years ago marked \ real division
'be tween those who believed in the
Republican faith and those who were
devoted to the Democratic principles
has become weakened. A few illus
trations should serve to convince those
who have not yet seen The light that
shines brighter than party loyalty.
Before the Populist party came into
prominence there was no such condi-
tion as being neutral. One was either
Democrat or a Republican, either
by initiation during the days of the
Civil war or by birth. The Populis5
party scattered seeds of disruption
that have been growing and matur-
ing as the years passed by eyen
though the party as an organization
has no existence. Evidently it per-
formed a mission and then passed into
history.
The Peoples party is no more, hut
the principles of that party in large
measure have been accepted in part
by the Republican party and l. part
by the Democratic party. However,
there are those in both parties wh1
have fought those principles, but they
have been compelled under protest to
yield to the increasing maiorities N
favor of what is known as the pro-
Gressive doctrines of government The
organization of the Populist party had
not yet lost its existence before there
appeared on the field of action an un-
known man, w. ]. Bryan, who with
the enthusiasm of the inspired and the
oratorical powers of Demosthenes
broke down many of the obstacles that
were dividing the Republicans from
the Democrats. He could not convince
a majority of the American people,
but he trained many to think for them
selves Independently of what they had
been taught by Grover Cleveland and
other stalwart Democrats on the one
hand and Grant, Garfield and Harri-
son followers on the other.
The influence of Bryan has been a
potent factor in breaking up the lines
between the parties even to this day,
but other forces have been Joined to
his and have assisted materially in
bringing what seems to be dissolu-
ton of the old parties in the near
future. One of the events and forces
that assisted not a little was the
bolting of the free silver forces at
the Republican convention at St. Lou
is in 1896. This movement trained
the people of the mountain states to
act independently of the Republican
party as had the Populist teaching
and the influence of Bryan trained
many to lose their loyalty to the old
parties.
Another factor aided materially in
breaking the bonds that held many
to the old parties and that was the in
of Theodore Roosevelt
when president of the United States
He himself disregarded many prece-
dents that had long been established
by the political parties and as re-
sult of this in his election in 1904
party lines were all torn to pieces and
le was elected by one of the largest
popular votes ever given president
n this country.
Never since the days Of Populism
Ias there been a well defined division
'etween the old parties and today 1t
s,uae Il A .,->..id