The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-12-18
The State First.

This paper has, upon OCCASIONS
advised against the emphasizing
of any party in this campaign.
The fault has been in our party,
and not in our people, that We
have been underlings.
John M. Parker could have been
the unanimous choice of the Dem
ocratic Party, for Governor. Mr.,
Parker could not have succeeded
as Governor, as the candidate of
either faction Of the Democratic
Party; as Governor, he would me-
cessarily have been the choice of
the Party first, and of the voters
next; and his first step would have
necessarily been to please the
leaders O. the Party, and this Is
Just what caused our present con-
dition.
It was necessary for Mr.. Parker
to declare hims self a candidate for
Governor in OPPOSITION to the
orgniz alton, which we term the
Democratic Party; and in this
sense only, is he the candidate OF
the Progressive Party; and in or
der to carry out; and be consistent
with this schcme, We are opposed
to the nomination of State ticket
to run with Mr.. Parker. For we
take it as earnest that his candi-
dacy is NOT in the interest of any
party ia particular, and necessa-
rily he is not a candidate to build
UP the Progressive Party in Louis
lana; his candidacy is an organic
ed effort to build up the State. AT
THE COST OF ANY PARTY, if
need be.
The party spirit is too much de-
veloped in America. Too great
sacrifices are now asked and ex.
pected of public men in interest
of the party. Too little regard il
had for the people and the social
structure which we call govern
ment. Ambition and spoils, first
used by Jackson as tenet of the
Democratic Party, has grown to
alarming proportions, and in the
hands of less forceful men than
Andrew Jackson. this idea il par
amount to the idea of Republic,
and has turned many of the old
states over to individual sover.
eigns; Louisiana is striking OBJ
ject lesson of this fact.
Everything must knuckle and
bow to the leader of the party.
An evening paper of the city OF
New Orleans, counsels an aojec.
and slavish surrender of all mat
tiers, and all men, to the "Party."
It says the following, editoriaily ,
to Claude Ki.chin, leader of the
Democratic majority in the lower
house of Congress:
"But no man has the right to hold
the post of Leadership in the House
and with the prestige 1t gives him ag-
gressively oppose what the President.
the only selected leader of the party,
proposes and large majority OF
Democratic membership favors."
Mr.. Kitchin is opposed to the
Presidents sudden and newly born
ideas of the army and navy
Where lies Mr.. Kitchin's allegi-
ance-to the President and the
Democratic Party, or to his own
conscience and judgment abou
matters of importance to the Da.
ton and his constituents? Die
not large democratic member.
chip" buDgle important matters sc
in the last Congress that Speaker
Clark, Mr.. Underwood, and Mr.
Fitzgerald of New York, felt calico
upon to oppose the President, anc
to scold, and lecture, and roa-
that "men bership" sorely ano
bitterly? Is i, not now a demon
strated fact that extravaganza an6
DILETTANTEI5 in the las
Congress necessitated war tal
in time of peace, contrary to botf
Democratic and Republican doc
trine,-and il not the treasury o
the Federal Government now il
the throes of a helpless deficit,
BUT, for the Party's sake, let ev
cry man who opposes these thing:
resign and get out.
Demands of party loyalty ant
party success has turned the ideal
ist-Wilson, into the most auto
cratic political boss the Unitet
States has ever known, notwith
standing all Of his intellect, abili
ty, character and id aalism.
Louisiana has been reIdert {
almost helpless in the interest 0
Party, ard to satiate the leader
with power. Party demands LEAF
nearly all officials to a gross mis-
conception of their functions; par
" obsession and not individual