The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1912-05-31
Issued Every Friday. $3.50 year
Entered at the postofiee at Oroville, Washing
ton, a. second class matter.
PARTY ABOVE THE MAN.


at Aberdeen last week, which culmi-
mated in two conventions that named
two sets of delegates to the national
at Chicago and issued two
opposing platforms, is the natural out
come of the factionalism that has
grown up in the party throughout the
nation.
Many are inclined to place the blame
for this factional division within the
party on the direct primary. Doubt
less the direct primary is a fostering
agency for developing the schism that
has taken place, but the cause lies
deeper The republican party has
been the dominant party in this state
and throughout the nation for so many
years that it has attracted all the non
lescript political elements that are
continually t1ocking to the party
through which they hope to gain their
selfish ends These elements have no
regard for principles of government
and use the party organization mere
ly as a medium for advancing their
own personal interests. The great in
crease in he number of independent
voters in recent years. can be iarGel!
traced to the prominence gained by
these undesirable elements in the
councils of the party.
The time has come when the party
must be purged of the opportunist
the demagogue and the boss. who diff
fer in methods only. but are Identical
ly the same in aim. Republicanism
must be made to again represent prin
ciples. not men. 1t must be rehabili
tated as the party of genuine progress
under he law. and freed from social
ism and self-seeking political fakirs
A platform that demands the abolition
of representative government and the
substitution in it's place of direct leg
islation. the recall of all elective Of
ficers including the judiciary and the
absolutely absurd proposal to recall
judicial decisions, is N no sense a
republican platform. Real republi-
cans cannot advocate such platform
or support candidates for Office who
advocate such doctrines.
1t was inevitable that those who be-
lieve in representative government /;
in popular rule under the limitations
and checks OF the constitution, 'he
greatest charter of democracy ever
devised by man, and who gave their
allegiance to the republican party be-
cause it came into being for and was
dedicated to the great task OF pre-
serving the integrity of this govern
ment and its institutions, should re-
pudiate the preachment of those lead
ers who would replace liberty with
license, order with chaos and pave
the way through anarchy to deSpOtiSm
The great error was made when the
republican party permitted itself to
become the plant tool of single in
dividual, ministering to his vanity and
fostering his ambition. For over sew
en- years now, the country has failed
to hear word about republican prin-
ciples, but, instead, ii has been re-
galed with the repeated pronounce
ment of Roosevelt policies The man
and his ideas have ben exalted above
the party and the party's principles.
This could only end in party dissOlu-
ton if permitted to continue. That is
why patriotic men, seeing the danger
Gus tendency to make the party sub
servient to the imperious will of an
ambitious and dictatorial individual
determined to resist his aggressions
and save the country from the calam-
ity of placing him for third and IN
limited time in possession of the
regns of government and in control
of the party organization
Republicans believe that the people
are still capable of governing them
selves. Yes. even more capable now
than ever. They absolutely refuse
to accept the declaration of Roosevelt
that he is the only man in all this
country who can be trusted or who
has the ability to fill the Office of
president They don't think that gov
eminent by the people is merely an
other name for government by Roose-
welt On the contrary. they believe
chat surrender to the demands of
Roosevelt for third term in the ex-
ecutive chair would be tantamount to
surrender of self government. There
fore. they would far rather see the
party as at present constituted. rent
assunder and face certain defeat
throughout the country than COM
promise with liberty and despotism
If such extreme penalty must be paid
for the error that has been made, re-
publicans can feel that they are VIC
torious in defeat, for they will then
have saved the institutions which their
party was created to perpetuate
l ~ i'puDiicdH party HluSt De ftOr-
ganized 10 stand against the fallicies of
socialism. If it is necessary to adopt
heroic measures lc effect this reOrgan-
ization ii is fortunate for the country
that there are men sufficiently patri-
otto and unselfish to face the issue
For time We may have several par
ties or factions. but ultimately the
opposing forces will again gather in
TO two great parties probably one, the
republican. representing constitution
al progress, the other, the socialist or
Social-demOcratic. representing revo-