Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-20
The Causes of Democratic Failure

| Whatever improperly there may be in The Chief
tain upon the statement of Democratic state
chairman to his party associates, following upon
paign which has resulted in unprecedented disaster
may be by the request that has been received
this office inviting expression of opinion.
In the first place it may be stated ephatically that
there question of the sincerity and good faith of
the gentleman who undertook to direct Democratic
party affairs in Colorado time when its defeat
already well assured The fact that the management of
the party given to whose title to public respect
and confidence unquesionabe but whose knowledge
of the devious ways of partisan politics practically
nothing, is sufficient proof that the Democratic lead
ers Colorado last year chosen for the that
none of the practical politicians willing to
responsibility for certain disaster.
It is this inability to recognize facts that known
to every politician in the state that is the chief
characteristic of Chairman Hills attempt to analyze the
causes of Democratic defeat single quotation from
the statement is sufficient proof of this He says The
result of the primary gave for governor Honorable
James NJ Collins, of Eaton, excellent high class,
conservative representative of farmer organizations
lifelong Democrat and a whom had ought
to say against other than that he the agreed
upon by the farmer and labor organizations prior the
assembly, which evidently caused thousands of Demo
10 theory that elected
he would be unduy influenced by these organizations
regardless of the principles forth in the Democratic
PLATFORM
If that is fair and truthful statement of the
facts concerning the candidacy of James NJ Collins then
The Cheftain is thoroly misinformed concerning this
matter And the other hand if the facts concerning
the Democratic candidate for governor, his record his
qualifications, and his supporters, such be-
lieve them to be, then this statement concerning him
by the Democratic state chairman proof adequate that
the chairman is incapable of sound Judgment in poll
tical affairs.
In the opinion of Chairman Hill, he and the party
he captained the victims of sinister conspiracy,
the outgowth Of the senatorial campaign of 1918 He
believes that different result might have been had if
the rules of the party had been such that party discipline
could have been enforced and party traitors could have
been deprived of their official authority.
There is reasonable ground for this belief The
truth Of the matter is that the independent voter in
Colorado is sufficiently to hold the balanoc
Of power in every election In the opinion of many
shrewd observers, the Independent voter-hat is men
and women who are not influenced by party names IS
much as they by what they believe to be the esp-e
tive merits of the candidatcs-are in large majority
1t is fact that mixed result, as between the
parties, has como to be the rule in Colorado elections
both state and county.
The prepondernnce of the independent vote how
over unwecomc that condition may be to the practical
politicians has to be the dominant factor in Colo
rado campaigns As long that direct primary law re-
mains and the hcadess ballot compels voting for in
dvidual candidates. election results will be matters Of
the successes of individual candidates rather than Of
the triumph of political party The landslide or clean
sweep of any party will be possible only when the gen
eral popular verdict between the parties concJcs
with popular verdict for all the candidates of one
party as compared with all the candidates of the other
party So far the state ticket concerned such
was the situation in Colorado last year