The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-06-15

SOME EVEN WANT
A few years Of power and RESPONSE
bility have done much to convince even
Democrats Of the Bryanic order that
business has its advantages: some OF
II may even approximate so clocely to
respectability as to deserve the right
to survive.
There is one thing. that the most
eursory observer will not fail to note
around these Democratic jigglnEs.
That Is. that the Democratic party b
getting organized and disciplined into
something like a real political machine.
A few years ago discipline and man
agement were as scarce around n Demo-
cratic convention as spring water for
beverage purposes at August Busch's
entertainment for the newspaper corre-
spondents, Some party that. by the
way.
dered in the wilderness for a generation
after the war between the States was
at least Democratic: II was q game OF
every man for himself. and the loudest
voice could command the largest
hearing.
Rut things have changed. Some real
orRa nizations are being built up IN
States that formerly had no more rela-
ton to the national party than the rings
that the bride dons al. a juno weddins.
There n coming to be a measure OF
interaction let ecn state and natonat
forces. an understanding that neither
can 20 II alone. a realization that they
must stand together In something ike
a common purpose and program Inc
old Democracy WAS composed OF an AR,
tight Tammany At one end the symooi
chain Of Southern State orgnniza tons
secure in thu domination OF local al
fairs and horelessly provincial as TO
national and International concerns. ana
flourish organizations in states where
the Overwhelming majoritics In favor
OF the RerublicapS compelled the De-
mosracy to aecsr me ,esaer as pe os
willing to carry the tharkless burden or
hopeless contests.
No Real Cohesion.
So there would be greenback De-
mocracy in the West. free-hlver
Democracy in the silver States. and q
hard-money leadership in the Cleveland
East. with mo real cohesion among
them. Prohibition swept through tho
South, while the Northern Democracy
was still trying TO believe itself the eN-
porent OF liberalism
The Republicans will need TO recog-
nize. before they have done with this
years tight. that the reoryanized-or.
better. the organized-Democratic party
is more efficient affair. politically.
than Il used to be.
This convention Is SO thankful to
Woodrow Wilson for being a Demo-
let him do what he will with his party.
It will adopt any platform. cheer any
program, rejoice In any policy. that he
tells It he fanciee: There Is an obvious
rnethods of the Dast and n real effort
TO unite in something like a general
scheme of party solidarity.
All this relates much more to political
methods than to genera. principles OF
government. As to these latter. the
Democracy is no more united than ever.
Mr.. Wilson's currency law would be
Just as popular as smallpox with the
vention, and with their constituents at
home, II II hadn't happened to be q
nominally Democratic statute. Mr..
Bryan. bursting out from an Admins
tration OF which he had been a leading
figure and grabbing club with which
to belabor his late associates, is the
fine type OF the old-style individualistic
Democrat.
And just as Mr.. Bryan is now feared
for a mere troubie-maker, so the old
time Democratic methods are eschewed
by the more business-like managers
who are crowding themselves in to run
/ talked today TO a millionaire manu-
facturer who In national committee
man from an important Western state.
Eight years ago. the national commit
teeman from that same state was an
ex-Populist editor. who harangued me
about the crime or '7S!
Much Quiet Conference.
Among men OF this new quality who
are coming to the top In the party
councils there has been n great deal Of
1..Na hA.
campaign this year: and anybody with
an idea that the Republicans will have
| a monopoly Of practical. business-like
methods has another guess coming.
There will be real money with which
to run the campaign; money from a
We're going to get up a regular
mail-order catalogue showing the
things the Democratic party has ac-
complished. and put II in the hands
said one of the business politicians.
"Electing a President Is just selling a
big bill of goods to the country;
we're going TO show our goods to the
best possible advantage, and for once
we have the. show windows in our
possession"
From Chicago I wrote something
about the disaffection among Repub
| licans with the workings Of the pri-
mary. Well, there is a precicely sim
liar sentiment here. The primary laws
OF the States are not giving satisfac-
ton.
Either the primary system will have
to, be overhauled :, and made more
workable, or else II will have to go
There Is no enthusiasm about re-
turn to the ancient caucus system.
Se evS %as eSuS % bad snS prPe "a
been devised,
But II Is very apparent that some
thing will have to be done to make
the political preliminaries less com
plicAtlnR and to prevent the poaRlhil.