The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-11-19
FROM 3 LEAVES 2.

The progressive party passed away
on Tuesday. Mr.. Roosevelt, child
less as we'll as orphaned and home
less, is left to present the most desc
lated picture of embodied pathos
since Shakespeare's Lear.
The republican party kicked off the
covers, leaped out of bed, defied the
nurse, and ran round the block with
its bare shins exposed to the mild
rigors of balmy November day. 1t
came home feeling fine and cocky and
demanded a beefsteak smOthered IN
onions for dinner. Plainly this
. friend of our youth is cOnvalescent-
and then some.
AS for the democratic party, like
the constitution which it reveres and
like the government at Washington
which it administers and will con-
tinue to administer, it still survives.
On it's battle-scarred, but virile old
body are planted few fresh wounds
wounds which will heal nicely
since the democracy is immortal.
And, though bleeding it holds proud
" aloft the banner of victory. 1t
was a tough fight but a won fight.
Two years ago the democracy elect
ed a president and both houses OF
congress because of divided oppo-
sition. AS Mr.. Bryan would say,
the bad people divided and the good
people marched through to the prom
ised land. The democratic party was
then very much minority party.
Two years have wrought great
change. One of the opposition par
ties has gone where the whangdoodle
mourneth. The republican party, as
next to kin, inherited most of the
assets-which includes most OF the
votes. The bad people are again
united. In consequence where yes
terday the republican party was pow
erty-stricken and weak, today it is
rich and powerful But even so it
isn't rich and powerful enough to
overthrow it's ancient democratic en-
envy. The democracy, after pitch
ed battle, retains control of both
branches of the national congress.
In 1912, with the progressive party
out of the way, the republicans
would have carried the house. But
this year, with Mr. Roosevelt's party
only a memory, the democrats carry
the house, though of course by a
largely reduced majority.
No longer a minority party IN the
usually accepted sense, the democracy
is today the majority party. But 1t
faces, as of old it was accustomed
to face, husky and formidable en-
envy. 1t is just as we'll that this is
20. Without serious opposition the
democracy was in danger of becom-
ing overprosperous and under-exer-
cised, and so arrogant and dull and
lazy and fabby. That danger is re-
moved. Democrats will realize keen
~ that henceforth they must earn
their merit marks; that they must
be on their mettle and up on their
toes, basing their hopes of victory on
their deserving to win. And the re-
publican party, mo longer forlorn
and dissipated old outcast will real
lie that it, too, by deserving to win
may hope to win. Such a condition
is best for both parties and best for
the country.
Democrats naturally would have
preferred a more sweeping victory
marred with fewr discrepancies.
And under the circumstances, with
the government at Washington hav-
ing to deal with problems the most
difficult and dangerous, and with the
whole world certain to feel the psy-
Geological effect of the American
elections, it seemed reasonable to be-
lieve that the voters would rally, ir-
respective of partisaElship, to hold up
the hands of President Wilson and his
administration They failed to do 1T.
They rallied so that the administra-
ton is neither discredited nor made
Omaha World Herald.