The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1912-09-20
A Dragging Campaign.


be their supreme ruler will be registered
in November by their representatives.
The election of a President of the
United States is, in all history, the most
striking incident of free government.
Kings die and other kings are crowned,
but the subjects are mere spectators at
the ceremony. Men have won the SUI
preme power by the sword and they de-
Tended it by the sword.
In no great republic was there uni
versal suffrage as there is in America.
Voting for President, then, by the
American citizen, is solemn act.
1t is a testimony to the world that
masses of men and women are as capa-
BILE of self-government as small body
The Presidential election in America
being every four years, to us becomes
commonplace. We have so abused some
of our candidates within the present gen.
Grafton that our respect for the high
office they seek is not dominantly active.
This is the most quiet Presidential
campaign since the war. The party
making the most noise is the youngest
party. The man exciting the most en-
thusiasm is leading a forIorn hope.
The nation was disguised with the
manner in which Taft secured his vic
tory at Chicago. His campaign started
with an apology. The President him
self has never held up his head, champed
the bit and snorted for the fray. He
sought victory by trusting that there
will be enough remaining strength in
the organization to pull him through.
His own driving power is gone.
How many or how few votes Roose-
welt will get no man can say, but it does
begin to look as if he will be the Sec
ond man in the race.
But we are mainly concerned in this
article with a strange condition exist
ing among Democrats.
There was tremendous enthusiasm
within the ranks of the party before
the Baltimore convention. There was
great enthusiasm at Baltimore.
Gov Wilson was nominated because
he is the choice of majority of the
Democrats of this country.
His victory was free of faint. Little of
the trading that is common among even
decent politicians marked this choice.
Every Democrat said he would be elect
ed. Every Democrat now says that
Gov. Wilson will be elected, and then
after every Democrat says that Gov.
Wilson will be elected he retires to the
shade and expects the other Democrats
to go out and do the work.
It's possible that the Democratic view
that Gov. Wilson's election is a fore
gone conclusion is true, but nothing is
certain in American politics.
Revolutions in public opinion may
within a month change the views of
enough American voters to give anoth-
er man majority. Nothing is attained
without work. No great cause is vindi-
Gated unless there is labor and energy
behind it.
An index to the present degree of
of the average Democrat may
be shown by the inability of the nation
al committee to carry on its work be-
cause of lack of funds.
When Gov. Wilson was nominated it
was felt that he was the peoples candi-
date and many politicians in Baltimore
accepted Gov. Wilson because they felt
that they were carrying out the wishes
of their constituents. If, then, Gov.
Wilson's nomination has been forced
by the people, the people themselves
must see to it that machinery needed
for his election is properly manned.
The interests are in no way concerned
in Gov. Wilson's election. At Balti-
more the Democrats were as positive in
their refusal to accept future favors from
Big Money and Big Interests as was
Peter in his denunciation of Simon the
Magician. Enthusiasm and energy and
work behind Gov. Wilson will surely
elect him, It may be true that the
quiet intelligence of the country may
have sufficient force to elect Gov. Will
son, but it is also true that victory can
be made certainty by every Democrat
doing a citizens full duty.
This is not funeral procession. 1t is
fight, and we had better get on our
fighting clothes and go into the fray
Commercial Appeal.