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The Organization.
After tho defeat of 1800 tho gold democrats
mct and congratulated themselves upon their part
iii' the republican victory and demanded a re
organization of the party. A second defeat has
brought forth another chorus of criticism and a
demand that the party management be turned
"over to those who for the past four years have
". tfhcld themselves aloof from the organization and
.spent their time in condemnation of the policies
endorsed in the party platform.
Men who have repudiated the party creed and
the party candidates, and yet pride themselves
upon their superior democracy, urge a return to
what they call the iirst principles of democracy.
Pressed for some definite statement of their views
they either evade the question or resort to lan-
guago too ponderous for the understanding.
Whatever diiferences of opinion may exist con
cerning the various planks of the Kansas City
platform, the indisputable fact remains that that
. platform embraces the essential principles of dem
ocracy as taught by all the great leaders of the
past and as .accepted by the rank and file. Many
democrats who left the party in 1800 came back
in 1000 and were cordially welcomed. While not
agreeing to every policy set forth, they gave
hearty support to the democratic candidates be
cause they believed that the platform was sound
in its cardinal principles.
Kxact .fulfilment of national pledges and ad
herence to the Constitution, perfect compliance
.with the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.
'firm advocacy of tho Monroe Doctrine, stern an
tagonism to militarism, relentless opposition to
trusts, uncompromising hostility to an unjust
dollar and to a surrender to national banks of the
money issuing functions of the government, strong
protest against entangling alliance with any
other nation, vigorous objection to the plan of
wasting the people's money in subsidies to a few
individuals, earnest appeal for the restoration of
popular government and the principles which
have given life and prosperity to the nation
these must represent the fundamental principles
of demooraoy and these received the endorsement
'of the convention which met at Kansas City.
There is a marked difference between the
methods employed by tho democrats who believe
iu the Kansas City platform and the methods em
ployed by those who oppose that platform. The
former have fixed principles, state them without
ambiguity and invite judgment upon them; the
latter prate about principles, assume a "holier
than thou" attitude and declaim about national
honor and party traditions, but never put their
principles into concrete form or outline a plan for
dealing with present political problems. They
are against the Kansas City platform, but what
are they for? They are against the silver plank,
but what financial policy do they propose? Do
.thoy favor the national bank note or the green
back? Are thoy for an income tax or against it?
Do thoy favor the popular election of senators, or
do they oppose it? What is their attitude on -the
question of private monopolies? What would
thoy do with the Philippine Islands? How largo
an army do thoy think necessary? What do thoy
think of governmontj)y injunction?
Tho party as now organized has taken a posi
tion on these questions and is ready to defend it.
Lot tho re-organizers present a statement of their
The Commoner.
views, equally deiinite and detailed, so that the
voters, or the rank and file if you pleape, may act
understanding!.
When these self-styled democrats left the
party they said that they preferred principles to
success; now they ask those who remained true
to the party to surrender principles in order to
secure success under their leadership and they
promise success notwithstanding the fact that the
defeat of 1804, which came under their leadership,
was tho most disastrous since 1872, and notwith
standing the further fact that the ticket which
they nominated in 1800 carried but one precinct
in the United States.
If any change in the present organization is
necessary it can be made by the voters in the
regular way and at the proper time. If in tho
meantime, any member of the organization dies,
resigns or is replaced the new member ought to
bo in harmony with the people who select him,
for, as a member, of the organization, he acts in
a representative capacity.
The only way to insure this harmony is to in
sist that the candidate shall be frank and candid
in making known his views to those to whom he
appeals, and every honest democrat seeking party
prominence with a sincere desire to aid the party
will be willing to make known his views on every
disputed question. Beware of the man who boasts
of his democracy but refuses to define it.
The so-called democrats who voted the repub
lican ticket showed by so doing that they were
nearer to tho republican position than they were
to the democratic position. In order to regain their
confidence, they must undergo a change or tho
democratic party must move over toward the re
publican position. As the re-organizers have man
ifested no change of heart the effort to re-organize
might more properly be called an effort to republi
canize tho democratic party. To make tho effort
a success the democrats must either be converted to
republican ideas, or be deceived into the support
of men who wear tho livery of democracy, but
lean toward republican doctrines.
W
Tolstoi on Imperialism.
Tolstoi is credited with a severe criticism of
American imperialism. He is quoted as saying:
You Americans are worse than the Mohammedans.
They preach war and they fight; you preach liberty
and peace and yet you go out to conquer through war.
He believes in "strenuous life," but he thinks
that human activity can better bo'employed doing
good than in killing people.
Russia's philosopher is wise enough to see and
know that commercialism is the' moving spirit
behind imperialism and that "duty and destiny"
are only masks.
Imitation in Crime.
Since the abduction of the Oudahy boy at
Omaha, rogues in various portions of the country
have given imitations of' that crime. In Alabama
a boy was abducted and demand for ransom made.'
In Illinois, a well-to-do farmer -was notified that
unless ho delivered a large sum of money under'
certain conditions his home would be destroyed
by dynamite. Similar happenings have been
noticed in other portions of the country. It is
interesting to observe that in each instance tho
plans of thp delivery of tho money have been sim
ilar to those adopted in tho Oudahy ease. This
forces upon the public the thought that it id 6f
the utmost importance to every community in the
United States that the abductors of young Oudahy
be arrested and punished. It is to be hoped that
no effort -will be spared-by the public toffioials
throughout the country to capture these rogues.
Their arrest and prompt punishment will do much
to discourage the terrible crime. . .
Mr. Griggs is Consistent.
In his argument "before the supreme court, Attorney-General
Griggs declared that coiirts may
enact one tariff rate in the states and another in
the territories. Considerable surprise is mani
fested among eminent lawyers that the attorney
general should have gone so far, .and yet Mr.
Griggs was consistent. If congress can give one
tariff rate in the states and another in our so-called
colonies there is no reason why the same discrim
ination should not be possible with relation to our
territories. It is possible, however, that the ap
plication of this discrimination to our territories
would arouse some otherwise indifferent people to
the iniquity of the discrimination against our
colonies.
To et Waterfovul.
By William Cullen Bryant.
Whither, midst falling- clew,
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
Thy solitary way?
Vainly the fowler's eye
Might mark thy distant ilight to do thee wrong,
As, darkly seen against the crimson sky,
Thy figure floats along. ' ' -
L - L' ' -
Seek'st thou the plashy brink ""
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, . . ,
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink
On the chafed ocean-side?
There is a power whose care v
Teaches the way along the pathless coast . '
The desert and illimitable air
Lone wandering, but not lost.
All day thy wings have fanned,
At that far height, the cold, thin atmosphere,
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,
Though the dark night is near.
And soon that toil shall end;
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
. Soon, .o'er thy sheltered nest.
Thou'rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart
Deeply has sunk the lesson thou hast given,
And shall not soon depart.
He who, from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must tread alone,
Will lead my steps aright.
No senator will l)e justified in voting for a
measure the necessity of which is urged on the ground
hat owners of American vessels cannot compefe w7t
foreigners m the carrying trade because the latter
an In. sailors and officers more cheaply than they
can if it is so framed that crews of cheap Chinese
and Tapa nese can be shipped. The people of Z
Umted S ates are willing to be taxed for the purpose
a !K f 10 TrtUnitieS 0f A "n
a living, but they will rebel against any attempt to
legislate purely in the interest off the investing cLs
-San Francisco Chronicle. .. , f,
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