The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-20


 believe in the historic Democracy of Thomas Jefferson. This campaign is going to rid the Democratic party of every man who does not believe in it's principles and Is going to add to the party's ranks, hope, every man who does believe in them.
 Men have allowed their personal M- terests, ambitions and prejudices to sway their political conduct, and con sequently this great body of American citizens, thinking alike and feeling alike at heart, has never been united. under one banner to fight for the com mon rights of common humankind. The strength of those determined to give every man his chance in life, url- hampered and unaided by legislative enactment, and to strike down every species of special privilege inuring to the benefit of a few; of those like minded in their view that government is a necessity and not luxury and that business should have it's large op- 'portunity for success, but that this government was made for men, not corporations, for principles, not inter- ests, and of those with sufficient cour- age and fortitude to drive the money changers from the temple of our na- tional life, has been impoverished by assertions due to personal interests. ambitions and prejudices.
 Time For Patriotism.
 This campaign calls upon some for justice, upon others for charity, upon all for patriotism. 1t does not call for the bandying of epithets nor for an appeal to the personal We may safe ly leave to that senile dementia which has seized the so called Republican party the personalities of this cam paign. Its untltness to rule the repuh- lie is disclosed by it's inability to keep its temper. It was cohesive so far as it's leadership was concerned while 1t was engaged in footing the public, but even its leaders are now disorganized while quarreling over the loot. As for the narty's bosses, the improper indu- ences in American political life are about equally divided between them. Everywhere Boss Barnes is crossing swords with Boss Finn, and their charges and countercharges disclose greatness only when we apply Elmer sons statement, "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"
 How comes it that we have reached such condition of affairs in American life that the party in power is rent in twain, that boss is charging boss with knavery, crookedness and dishonesty and that each faction is claiming an exclusive patent upon honesty and patriotism while Avowing that the sue cess of the other would spell irrepara- ble ruin for the republicf And, more particularly, how comes this to pass under a Republican system of govern ment consisting of coordinate branches to which were ceded by the people none of their inalienable rights. but only such powers as were thought to be needful to redress the wrongs, pre- serve the rights and keep unshackled the moral, intellectual and physical forces of mankind?
 Though a majority of the people have been voting the Republican ticket and have been assuming thereby that the majority would rule. the disgrace ful but, purifying scenes which have been enacted recently in Republican conventions disclose that a large num- Der of those who have been voting the Republican ticket are Democrats at r,oaw% rrH.acx Sory,os dfsoIaSo f,1rfhor that we have been mistaken in some of our conclusions touching government fA America We have yielded a quiet assent to the proposition that major ity is ali powerful and that minority has no rights which majority < bound to respect But now we know that the theory of the historic Demo cratic party-that it is the right of majority to rule, but only within con- stitutionaI limitations and without the usurpation of a single inahenable right of a single individual--is correct
 sf Majority a Minority.
 It is only when majorfties thus rule that governmental machines move without friction. The right of a ma jority to thus rule must always be conceded. I wonder, however. if 1t has dawned upon the sober second thought Of this people that 1t is possi- ble for a majority to be minority and that 1t is equally, possible for minority to be majority. At first blush it would seem that the officials elected by the plurality of votes be- come the representatives of the major ity and that as such they rule. But I am not in error when declare that it is. not the mere number of votes which determines a majority in America in the sense of having the power to for mulate the policy. enact the legislation and control the government, and I point to the election of 1908 for proof. The protest of every man who voted for President Taft and who is now dis satisfied with the presidents manage ment of public affairs proves that for four years a minority has been the majority In America. At the risk of offending the sensibilities of the Re- publican who voted for President Taft only to be dissatisfied with his ad- ministration, I am going to tell him that he is one of the men I counted in making 90 per cent of the voters of this country members of the historic Democratic party. His present protest ANairsMk tfaa ssamw5R nf his halIof pnvpsa Ia