Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-08

ished by the people, he can not be
rewarded by the people.
There is no better Democrat than
Thomas Jefferson, the founder of
the Democratic party. and in dis
cussing this question he said:
My opinion originally was that
the president of the United States
should have been elected for seven
years. and be forever ineligible aft
erward. l have since become SEN
sible that seven years is too long
to be irremovable, and that there
should be a peacable way of with
drawing a man in midway who is
doing wrong"
1t is obvious that Jefferson con-
sidered the four-year term in the
nature of a recall. 1t gave the
people in the midst of a presidential
term an opportunity to approve or
disapprove of the presidents per-
formances up to that time. 1t made
him subject to the will of the peo
pie and continually mindful of the
wishes of the people
This plank in the Democratic
platform is worse than undemo-
cratic, worse than reactionary. 1t
removes the president from the con-
troll of the people, and makes him
more than ever in the control of
the privileged interests. 1t is an
absolute contradiction of the pro-
gressive plan to place the govern
ment more directly in the hands of
the people.
1t is contrary to the expressed
declaration of the founder of the
Democratic party 1t is a conces- .
sion to the desires of the special
interests. 1t brings into strong con-
trast the Democratic policies of
jefferson and the unsound and in
sincere policies of William Jennings
Bryan.
Jefferson was a man of practical
experience and sound common
sense, genuinely devoted to the
people.
Bryan is an unsound theorist,
without definite policy and without
genuine concern for anything but
his own advancement, trimming
and trading and compromising and
evading to make a momentary
point at the expense of a perma-
nent policy and a recognized right
The paragraph referring to the
navy, and pledging the Democratic
party to a navy adequate to the
needs of the nation and to the sup
port of the principle of the Monroe
doctrine, is exceedingly important,
not only as a profession of Demo-
cratic faith. but as an evidence of
Democratic sincerity.
The question of an adequate navy
has already come before the Demo-
cratic house of representatives
This Democratic platform at it's
conclusion says: Our pledges are
made to be kept when in office, as
well as relied upon during the cam
paign."
The Democratic party, wholly in
power in the house of representa-
tives. failed utterly to carry out it's
pledge in regard to an adequate
navy 1t has, therefore, absolutely
destroyed the confidence of the
country in any of the few positive
promises and progressive utter
ances of its platform.
The senate reported a bill which
provided for an adequate navy. A
good part of the Democrats in the
senate voted for that bill.
But the Democratic party is not
in control of the senate. 1t is, how
ever, in full control of the house of
Representatives and will surely be
held to account for the irrespOnsi-
bic and unpatriotic action of its
majority in the house of represen-
tauVes, when the platform of the
Democratic party declared for an
adequate navy and when the plat
form definitely stated our pledges
are made to be kept"
When, in the face of these posi-
tive utterances, the promise of an
adequate navy is not kept how can
the intelligent citizens of this coun-
try believe that any plank or prom
Use Of the Democratic platform will
be kept?
The Democrats themselves digged
the pit into which they have fallen.
They created the opportunity to
prove their sincerity or their utter
insincerity Their action in prompt
ly repudiating the most meritorious
plank of their platform is discred-
tied both from party professions
and from patriotism.
The paragraph relating to rail-
roads, express companies, telegraph
and telephone lines is not a pro-
gressive utterance in any particu-
lar.
There is nothing of any impor-
lance advocated in that paragraph
that is not already in operation,
and nothing demanded that is not a
dodge or a straddle or an evasion of
the actual issue
This paragraph, like so many
other paragraphs of the platform,
is meaningless and worthless;
whore the opportunity occurs for a
statement of progressive prinCi-
pies, the platform lodges il in a
cowardly manner
This is another evidence of Mr.
Bryan'S unSOundneSS and inSiOcer-