The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-03-12
ArHE DEMOCRACY OF THE FAITH.
Frs"

back to "the democracy of the fathers :
Sounds very tempting, doesn't it?
One OF our great big dailies potent.
ally exclaims:
"The issue before democrats the
ssue in the presence of which every
thing else pales into insignificance-
5 making the democratic party again
emocratic."
1t goes on further to say:
THE return to old time democratic
principles that is the return to dem
ocratic principles--is the question that
concerns democrats more than any
other, and today they are alive to it's
yershadowing importance. The party
will not have the ghost of a chance
I winning the election this year ex-
cept on platform OF the old fashion
ed kind. Men are tired OF voting for
they know not what and they Mill not
do it any longer. Winning the cleo
ion is a matter of great Importance
the democratic party is really demo-
ratio, but Of no Importance whateyer
If it is still the experimental party
the name its actions justify now. But
more important than winning the cleo
ton is the resumption of principles
by the party. For with it's principles
which are vital to the country it has
something TO live on through defeat. 1t
has lived through defeat and emerged
strong and ready to fight If the party
reacquires its principles and goes
down in defeat in 1920 it will be ready
for the enemy in 1924 and will prob
ably be strong enough to win"
AS our able contemporary fails 20
tell in what those old time principles
consist which gave such rich blood to
the democratic party that It does not
possess now we have gone TO the
trouble to search the platforms and
have gone back as far az 1910.
The paramount issue IN that cam
paign seems to have been that the
constitution of the United States
it's chart and compass not con.
fer upon the general government the
power to commence and carry on a
general system of internal improve
ments."
That was one principle definitely
stated and was reaffirmed in num-
Der of successive platforms.
Does our esteemed contemporary
want the party to re-adopt that plank
and galvanize it into new life?
If it were done in order to improve
the harbors along her twelve hundred
miles of seacoast, and deepen and
straighten her rivers flowing into the
gulf and Atlantic, Florida would have
to pay larger sum than all the in
terror states combined.
Alluring as is the sound of "old
time democracy" that was for many
years one of its cardinal doctrines.
which, if put into practical operation
would be found onerous enough for
the seaboard states.
We do not believe that either of our
big dailies would consent to have that
plank re-enacted as the paramount
issue.
The next important plank was the
most strenuous opposition to the es
adjustment of a United Staes bank.
Surely our very able and esteemed
contemporaries do not want to do
away with our national banks?
The paramount issue in the platform
of 1874 was strong in opposition to
the policy of distributing the pro-
ceeds of the public lands among the
states for local purposes.
1t is unnecessary to state how help
full that policy has been in the build
ing up of our educational system and
in the building of our railroads and
how helpful government aid is in the
construction of good roads.
Surely our big dailies would not
have these helpful policies repudiated
and abandoned.
The main features of the platform oi
1914 were T0-dulful6u III the pidCIOIIu
of 1S4S and were made the paramount
issues.
In the platform of 1852 the main
features of the platforms of 1S44-S
were again re-affirmed but the slavery
plank was made the paramount issue.
!. That issue was settled by the war
between the states and can not be re-
vived if there were any desire to do so.
The platform of 1856 re-affirmed the
party's opposition to internal improve
ments on the part of the federal gov
eminent and to national banks but
again slavery overshadowed all other
issues.
The platforms Of 1864 had to do
with the war and had best be left un-
said.
Since the constitution was written