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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1902)
''"PWwWMWilJipppiipiiPIIP r ;. toi, The Commoner. 16 Vol. 2, No. 46. A r U HI I J An. Editorial Reprinted f A Revolt in Maryland BMlmon S(m. After every election the political an alyzer comes to the front to explain the causo of the victory or defeat and to prove by the accommodating logic of figures that the result was satis factory or at least encouraging to tho party to which ho belongs. To the philosophical observer partisan ex planations are rarely convincing, and those who desire to understand the situation, not as they might wish it to bo, but as it actually is, do not ac cept as conclusive the explanations of the political mind-readers who un dertake to tell us what influenced voters to vote this way or that, or not to vote at all. To get at any thing like the truth in such cases it is absolutely necessary to consider them from a non-partisan standpoint and to study them in the light not moroly of election returns for this or that year, but in the light of political history and of all facts and circum stances bearing upon the subject. While interest was greater at first in tho general result of last Tuesday's elections than in that in any partic ular locality, local interest has now naturally assumed the predominance, and people who consider such matters at all are reviewing tho field and seek ing to get at the causes that produced triumph or disaster. For nearly two generations it has been the habit to speak of Maryland as a normally and naturally democratic state, and the truth of the designation has generally been conceded even by the republi can oppositk-i. But of late that de scription has seemed to be losing its accuracy, and although we believe that it is'still true, under favorable condi tions, even the most optimistic friends of the democratic party can scarcely continue to make the claim, if they cannot back it up by more convinc ing records than those furnished by the elections of the last five years. It is true, as the Sun has hereto fore pointed out, there were features connected with last week's election in Maryland distinctly encouraging to democratic hopes, as showing what may be accomplished by democratic voters by themselves under adverse conditions, without active leadership and with practically no organization, or an organization strangely indiffer ent and apathetic. Under the circum stances it is a matter of wonder, con sidering tno. great energy, the im- years? Is thero not danger, demo cratic voters are asking, that the state, instead of being "normally" demo cratic may become "normally" repub lican, may become permanently anch ored in republican waters? Of course, all sorts of explanations are cheerfully and promptly offered by tho managers to account for these results and optimistic predictions of future victory freely made. But for all that, tho people, as well as the prophets, realize that the general sit uation is not one with which the dem ocratic party can be satisfied, and that there must be some other explanation of apparent democratic decadence in this state than we get from partisan democratic sources. One of two things they feel must be true: Either, first, Maryland is losing her democratic character, and is gradually, but sure ly, swinging into the republican col umn; or, second, the democratic party Is more than unfortunate in its politi cal directorate, and is kept under by a mismanagement and incompetency that has led it year after year and elec tion after election like a lamb to the slaughter. Whichever explanation they accept, democrats are brought face to face with a problem that is as disagreeable as -it is difficult of solution. One of them-, however, is less difficult and more hopeful than the other. If dem ocratic voters aro ready to admit that Maryland has become a republican state, then no more is to be said, no further explanations of defeat need be sought, no more election figuring naed be done. But it has never been in democratic blood in any section to admit ultimate defeat under any cir cumstances. And the fighting blood of the Maryland democracy is of tho same persistent and undaunted strain. I may, therefore, be assumed that it will continue to fight as long as there is anything to fight against, but it may also be assumed that it will in sist sooner or later on intelligent, earnest and sincere leadership, on a management that will be directed for party success rather than individual benefit, and on an organization that will give equality of political oppor tunity to all and will allow special fav ors to none. Tho democratic patriot, who is not such for revenue or office, but who is simply Interested as a good citizen in be the last while present political con ditions prevail. Last week's vote was clearly a vote of want of confidence in the present democratic party manage ment. The thousands of democrats who voted to stay away from the polls voiced no less emphatically their lack of confidence in this management than did such independent voters as cast their ballots for the republicans. This year's registration and election aro deeply significant and suggestive to those who look below the surface. The tailing off in the democratic vote is proportionally greater than the falling off in the republican vote, which seems to indicate that the independent vote of the state is receiving fresh acces sions from the democratic ranks. In other words, discontent is evidently growing, not discontent with demo cratic principles, but discontent with the funeral directors' management, xhnh inRlstii on hauling the demo cratic party in Maryland to the politi cal cemetery at every election. Tho democratic party of Maryland is not a corpse. It is very much alive and as full of fight as ever. But it cannot put up a winning fight with such a load as It is carrying at pres ent If the democratic voters of this state wish their party to recover its ascendency in Maryland, they must secure a new organization and new leaders, who will inspire confidence and arouse enthusiasm. The party has had such men in the past and it can have them again if it will call for them. , There is but one road that will lead it back to supremacy, and that is the grand old Jeffersonian highway, whic i is free to all; not the political turnpike owned by a close corporation and on which all who travel must pay toll. With the party organiza tion in hands in sympathy with the people and marching on the old. dem ocratic highroad, with special priv ileges to none and equal opportunities for all, democratic voters would speed ily see a reversal of. the political his tory of tho oast few years. On the other hand, if they permit present par ty conditions to continue, they must expect to see the independent voters of tho state continue to vote with the republican party or to remain away from the polls. It behooves democratic voters to consider the situation calmly, earn estly and intelligently, to "have" a heart-to-heart talk with themselves, to ask themselves which horn of the dilemma they prefer continued re publican supremacy or the reorgani zation of the democratic party. What Pluck and Hard Work Will do. , Without capital or influence, and ! relying only on their ability to teach. Miss Cora Mel Patten, an elocutionist, of Newton, la., and Miss Sarah Kathor ino Connor, a pianist, of Kearney,. Neb., founded a school of music and elocution in September, 1899, in Chi cago. By hard, intelligent work, straightforward methods, and contin ually making friends, they have pros pered wonderfully, and now require six other teachers, as instruction is given in physical culture, psychology, Shakespeare, English, parliamentary law, voico culture, violin playing, and harmony. Two hundred pupilB were taught last year, six states being rep resented among them. Lectures and recitals by acknowledged masters hav been maintained for the pupils' ben efit. Success. A great many people will not learn the difference between sanctity and moral dyspepsia until after it is too late for them to profit by. their knowledge. THE VALUE OF CHARCOAL mense resources and the skill of the I tbe supremacy of principles which he republican management, that the dem-) regards as important to the. public uuruia carnqa a single congressional weuare, cannot and will not submit Few People Know How Useful It Is In Preserv ing; Health and Beauty Noarly everybody knows that charcoal is tha safest and most efficient disinfectant and pari flor in naturo, but fow realize its value whoa taken into tho human system for tha flams cloansing purpose. Charcoal is a remedy that the more you take of it tho better ; it is not a drug at all, but simply absorbs the Rases and impurities always pres ent in tho stomach and intestines aud carries them out of the systom. Charcoal swootens tho breath after smoking, drinking or after oatinar onions and othot odor ous vegetables. Charcoal offoctually clears and improToa the comploxion, it whitens the teeth and further acts as a natural and eminently safe cathartic. It absorbs tho injurious gase which collect in tho stomach and bowels; it disinfects the mouth and throat from the poison of catarrh. All druggists sell charcoal in one form or an other, but probably tho best charcoal and the most for the money is in Stuart's Absorbent Lozenges; they are composed of the finest pow dorod Willow charcoal, and other harmless an tiseptics, in tablet form or rather in the form of lnrgo, pleasant tasting 'lozenges, the charcoal being mixed with honey. Tho daily use of those lozengos will soon tell ic a much improved condition of the general health, bbttor comploxion, swootor breath- and purer blond, and thoboautyof it is, that no pos siblo harm can result from tboir continued use, but on tho contrary, great benefit. A Buffalo physician in speaking of the bene fits of charcoal, says; "I advise Stuart's Ab sorbent Lozenges. to all patients suffering from gas in stomach and bowels, and to dear the complexion and purify the breath, mouth and throat; I also believe tho liyor is greatly bone-, fitted by the daily uso of thsm;they eost but twenty-flvo cents a box at drug stores, and al though in some sense a patont preparation, yob I boliovo I get moro and hotter charcoal in Stuart's Absorbent LozengoB than in any of the ordinary charcoal tablets.' district in the state. Victorv' in the two congressional districts carried by democratic nominees was the victory of democratic voters against most . formidable odds of organization, mon ey and leadership. In this aspect and to this extent the gains made carry with them a distinct lesson of hope and good cheer. Yet in spite of such encouragement as can legitimately be , drawn sfrom these considerations, the uemocrauc voters or Maryland may well ask themselves the question: . Will Maryland ever be redeemed from republican rule under existing party conditions? A few years ago a dem ocratic nomination in Maryland was equivalent in the. greater part of the state to an election. Republican local officeholders were few and far be tween, while in state offices and in both houses of congress they were . conspicuous by their absence. We still , call Maryland a normally democratic t state, but if it is so, why does it not 6" uumuwam;, wueu me VOteS are 1 . counted can a state be considered as belonging to a political party which carries it but twice in five years, and in those cases by majorities startling- ly small as compared with former lnaennneiy to a management that leads him always to defeat and which offers him only a funeral at the end of every campaign. , A political ma chine which justifies itself by vic tory can count upon support even from many who do not altogether ap prove its methods. But a machine which can do nothing but hold on to party organization for the benefit of a lew individuals and which fails the party on all Important occasions has lost its only excuse for existence and must sooner or later be thrown aside with the old iron of the political junk shop. Political managers who man- ago only for themselves, and not for the party, who are really not demo crats at heart, who do not want demo cratic success except in state elections, when state offices are to be distributed, must inevitably be turned down with a strong? hand by the democratic vot ers of Maryland if the state is to be I'dqemed from republican rule. This iq the leading and pressing lesson which patriotic democratic as well as independent voters will read in last Tuesday's election in this state. It Is not tho first lesson of the kind thathas been givep, anjTU will not J .Xbe Commoner, Condensed.. 31 Political Reference Book. 4fe TOUR HUNDRED pages containing those editorials appearing in the first volume of The Commoner and discussing questions of a perma nent nature. A few pages are devoted to reproduction of department matter. A convenient, abridged and handy file of The Commoner. ' Con tains complete reference index. 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