The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-07-04
COL. wATTER5oN ON THE POLL.
TICAL OUTLOOK

OF Louisiana TO break the Solid South
by falling out OF the Democratic anc
dropping into the Bull Moose column
Is Characteristic not only OF modern
but of universal politics.
The Bull Moose seems IN be at once
an amphibious animal and hermaph'
rodite. He stands half way between
hell and the iron works, the devil and
the deep blue sea. Thus he can swim
or eat live Goals. as the case requires,
be q woman or man at will.
In the North he 10 q dissatisfied Re.
publican, in the South a disgruntled
Democrat In Louisiana one might
call him old Sugar the Gourd. in
Pennsylvania the He-Goat Of High
Tariff. In Roosevelt be is masculine,
in Perkins feminine and In Pinchot
neuter. All things by turns and moth
ing long, his votaries worship at the
shrine OF Teddy of the Forked Tongue
and the Tiger Heart, whilst Teddy
rides him for all he may be worth.
Sectional psrtyism has too much
ruled the country. All of us must
admit that. The dividing line involv-
ing an irrepressible conflict was made
in the old slavery days and has con-
tinued ever since. The South was
made solid by the solid North. 1t
could hardly help itself Prescription
drove il into corner in sheer self pro-
lection. Otherwise the people of the
South, no more than the people Of the
North, think, or ever thought alike.
The Republican party, which began
a sentimentalist. became, after a pc
riod of more or less professional pa
triotism, professional trencherman
All parties, in every age or cline, in
trusted too long with power. grow
despotic and corrupt Inevitably the
slick rascals drift into them and forge
to the front Soon, or late, they split
upon rival ambitions, or differences
inherent to the state Of parties.
The old historic Democratic party
ruled for sixty years and went at last
TO pieces on the rocks of African slav-
cry. IL was strong enough to precipi.
tate the country into secession and
war During those sixty years the
opposition had two delightful inter
ludes of fumbling with the loaves and
fishes that under Adams, between
1920 and 1892 and that under Taylor
Fillmore, between lS49 and 1853, the
Harrison-Tyler episode q Wing flash
in.the-pan.
The Republican party. coming In
through breach in the walls of De-
mocracy, succeeded TO more than fifty
years of dominion. broken only by the
two Cleveland snapshots at the pie
counter And, finally. history repeat
ing itself, the Democrats arrived once
more within the pearly gates Of op-
portupity and patronage, thanks to
Theodore Roosevelt.
Now, curiously enough, Theodore
Roosevelt, discovering through the
election returns Of 1912 that he i ) not
as big a man as he thought he was.
seeks to rearrange the party conditions
so that in 1915 he may be able to paste
the Republican label on the Roosevelt
bottle, and so that the field as the
single contestant with the Democrats
whom he had brought into power four
years before.
The Democrats, on the other hand
with leader whom chance rather
than choice evolved out of chaos, must
stand or fall by their administration.
That means Wilson, of course. He
has proved himself all the Courier.
Journal said he was, schoolmaster,
able, learned and intrepid, sure to
make the boys stand around Working
not to harness making common cause
with none "A dogmatist who does his
own thinking and disciplinarian who
carries his own rod he bose, the
ranch and has reduced congress TO
pulp.
Recalling the events Of l0li.19le,
the Courier. journal, like Brer Rabbit
OF Uncle Remus and blessed memory
'jes Tolls back an larfs. Wanting
nothing except good government, it
lis tickled nigh on to death. 1t is
tiokled by the way Wilson has tackled
each piece of work that was 70 be
done. II is tickled by the way he has
tanned Bryan. II is tickled by the way
ne gives confidence TO nobody, goes
his ain gait, and, at once capable and
heartless-save IN the matter OF for.
eign affairs-he has made himself hat
ed ana feared by the politicians who
would not take our word for il, but
backed away from Champ Clark. and,
10 escape the alternative OF nominal.
Ing Bryan, who had deadlocked the
convention 10 that end, nominated