The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1920-06-18

BILE for congress to raise the alcohol
ic per cent Of drinks that are classed
as intoxicants, but 1t is doubtful IL 1t
! Is within the power of the congresa
to declare that beverage that Is In
fact intoxicating, can be sold In def.
ance of the eighteenth amendment
The amendment forbids the sale OF
Intoxicating liquors and proof that
three per cent beer for example was
intoxicating. would probably render
such legislation unconstitutional. ),
DEMocRAcys DUTY.
| It is already evident that the poll.
ticians In the democratic party, who
like the politicians in all other parties,
are always more concerned about
achieving success than they are
about the triumph of any principle,
will make desperate effort at San
Francisco to capture the disgruntled
union labor vote. These politicians
argue that democracy's only hope of
SUCCESS in the coming election lies in
a surrender to Gompers, the incor-
poration Of his insolent and radical
policies in ths platform and the NOM
ination OF McAdoo, the darling OF
union labor. The politicians make a
business Of politics. They must elect
their candidates In order that their
| business may be attended with sue
cess. The eternal principles of the
democratic party, the welfare of the
nation, the salvation Of Americas in
stituticns-these are small matters
with them, They want victory that
the business, of office brokerage may
continue.
Although the democratic party is
the historic party Of all the people;
the foe ever and always to any special
interest or class; its tenets directly
at variance with all forms of state
socialism, the politicians are perfect
ly willing to, embrace socialism, ap-
peal to class consciousness and defy
the traditions of the party in order
to obtain the two or three million
votes that Gompers boasts he can
control. 1t is to the credit of the
republicans that in their platform
and especially in the nominations
made at Chicago they took firm
stand upon the principles that gave
this republic its birth and hurled de-
fiance at its socialistic foes.
There must not be, there can be no
surrender upon the part OF the demo
cratic party to the Gompers demands
Already the Wilson administration
has flirted too much with socialism
Already too many people would de-
pend upon the government and not
their individual efforts to make pro.
gress in the world. The old demo
cratic party Of equal and exact justice
to all and Specials privileges to none,
Of an abiding faith in the Jefferson
ian doctrine that those people are
best governed who are least govern
ed, can not surrender to the demands
that will be made upon it for exped-
iency's sake without reversing its
time honored and historic position.
Its declaration for the "closed shop"
would constitute a reputation of one
of its most sacred principles.
For more than a century the demo
cratic party has stood as the party of
individualism; it has ever been the
defender of the inherent right of
man, without regard to his social, re-
ligious, POLITICAL or fraternal affilia-
tions. to work out his own salvation
under the equal protection of the law.
1t has been the party of equal and
exact justice to all men, guarantee
ing to each the right to enjoy the
full fruits of his honest effort. Glass
consciousness is the antithiss of
democracy, 1t believes in the full
rights of the individuals; it has never
espoused any "levelling" process for
it has recognized that there is but one
way in nature to level anything and
that is by bringing down the heights
to common altitude. That means
the end of all progress. " Sovietism,
socialism, Bolshevism are just as
much. the foes of democracy as auto
cracy and the divine right of kings.
The democratic party in its conven-
ton at San francisco should brayely
and firmly Meet the issues of the day.
1t should demand the repeal of. all
restrictive legislation passed as war
recessity It should stand once more
as the champion Of every individual
right that man can exercise without
hurt to the public interests. 1t should
proclaim its determination if restored
to power, to direct this government
once more toward the paths by an
cient worthless t.od." If 1t should fail