The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-02-04

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work of the Committee must there
fore be done through its national Of
ficers. In the past it has been as
sumed that little, if any, work could
be done by the National Committee
except once in four years when a
presidential campaign is to be con-
Quoted. Presidential elections are not
won in the short intensive campaign
of four months following the nomina-
tions. They are won chiefly through
the intelligent work which is done dur
ing the four year intervals. Public
opinion becomes largely, and some
times completely, crystaliZed before
the nominations are made, and this
crystalization results from the active
work of the officers of the National
Committee in cooperation with the
party leadership in Washington. We
must reform our methods so that we
shall, in the future, do four years in-
stead of four months intensive work
preceding presidential elections. +
What Not To Do
The officers of the National Com
mittee are the business managers of
the party and political parties in these
days require business management Of
the highest order. 1t is not the duty
of the national officers to determine
party policies nor to select the pres
idential candidates nor to use the pow
er of their offices to influence the Sc
lection of party candidates nor to
champion the cause of any candidate
for the presidential nomination. The
primaries, the state conventions and
| the national conventios may be safely
entrusted with this duty. Nothing
will more certainly destroy the useful
ness of national officers than to be-
come involved in matters of this sort.
| The establishment and maintenance of
permanent national headquarters, with
sufficient force to carry on its legiti-
mate operations, the raising of the
necessary funds for this purpose, the
educational work to be done through
proper publicity, are all objects of the
highest Importance and should receive
the whole thought and attention of
the national officers. When we con-
slider the fact that there are now
probably forty million qualified voters
in the United States, it is easy to
realize the immensely of the task of
getting each party's political views
before the voters. In the last cleo
ton approximately twenty-eight mil
lion votes were cast, Of which the Re-
publican party received about seven
teen million and the Democratic party
about eleven million. If these figures
are accurate, they show that twelve
million qualified electors did not vote,
1t is safe to assume that a larger
number of these non-voters were
Democrats than Republicans, because
the Democrats were handicapped by
lack of proper organization and suf-
ficient funds to reach these voters and
to get them to the polls. This Of it.
self discloses a fruitful field for con-
sistent endeavor on the part of the
national and state organizations! We
have reached point where the direc.
ton of the party's national affairs
between presidential elections can nc
longer be neglected nor made side
show to the regular business of the
party chairman. 1t is highly desira-
BILE that in the future no chairman
shall be elected who will not devote
all or practically all of his time to par
ty affairs. In all parts of the country
Democrats are asking eagerly what
is to be done for the future. They
are enxious to get into the fight, bu,
they need direction and leadership
They want to know what to do, They
want to see something done. They are
tired of drifting. We must have party
leadership in the future that will stay
on the job-that will make the bus
mess of the Democratic party it's only
job.
DemOcracy's opportunity.
When this is accomplished, conf
dence will be inspired and enthusiasm
will be aroused. Appeal can be made
successfully for the. necessary funds
to carry on the work of the National
Committee. There is great advantage
in drawing these funds through popu-
lar contributions from all parts of the
country, but men and women are re-
luctant to contribute when they have
no confidence in the party organiza-
ton and are left in doubt as to
whether or not contributions, when
made, will be wisely and beneficially
expended.
l am talking to you as Democrats
on a distinctively Democratic occa-
sion, and at time when it is impor-
tant that we should consider the meas
ures Immediately needed to promote
party success. We have no time I'd
lose. Every day that is lost reduces
our opportunity to do the work that
is essential to future success.
The character of the Republican
victory enhances Democratic oppor-
tunity. We are proud of our record
Ia record of unparalleled and unsul-
lied achievement during the past eight
years. When the mists of prejudice
and passion have cleared and our per-
spective upon recent events has ma.
tured, it will be conceded that Demo
cratic achievement during this epoch
al period of civilization is among the
greatest in our history. AS Demo
Gratis we are nndiscouraged and uIl-
dismayed. We know that the princi.
Piles for which we have fought and for
which we still stand are the immuta-
BILE principles of human progress and
human betterment. We welcome the
opportunity to test in the hard school
of responsibility the theories and pre-
tentions of the Republican party.