Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1900 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

FUTURE OF THE DEMOCRACY. llUrkel Change in Character of Party Policy la Probable. Tlie recent defeat sustained by the Democratic party is calling forth from prominent Democrats expressions of opinion as to the expediency of making a marked change in the general character of the party policy. The talk now heard of the adoption of a policy upon which a majority of the present party and the old-time Democrats can get together is likely to form an important feature of subsequent developments in America party history. It will be observed that the leading members pf the Democracy as it was eight years ago declare themselves strongly Ift favor of some such plan. Mr. Cleveland hopes that steps will be taken toward “the regeneration of the Democratic party.” Mr. Olney in his public letter early in the campaign indicated that he would be in favor of a similar revision of the party policies. Mr. Whitney, Mr. Dickinson and many other Cleveland Democrats hold substantially the same view. From Mr. Bryan himself, however, and from some of his close followers comes the declaration that the party must stick to its present courses, not even abandoning the doctrine of silver coinage. Unquestionably the near future is likely to bring about an interesting crisis in the affairs of the Democratic phrty. The fact that the party lias been twice defeated by heavy majorities cannot fail to have weight for merely political considerations and without regard to the intrinsic merit of the issues Involved. But “reorganization,” it must be remembered, is in fact a practical matter—an affair to be worked out by the mechanism of party organization itself. The reorganization, if it is to come, must begin in the revolution of Democratic sentiment, which will have a chance to express itself at the Congressional elections two years hence and in the State conventions. —Chicago Record. What They Voted 1 For. When the people voted for the reelection of Mr. McKinley they also Voted for the following propositions: The passage this winter of a ship subsidy bill whereby John D. Rockefeller and his confederates are to receive a free gift of $180,001),000 of the. people’s money. The protection of all existing trusts for four years and the establishment of many new ones. Criminal aggression in the Philippines, whereby 8,000,000 people are to be conquered and made subjects instead of citizens. The abrogation of the Declaration of Independence. The protection of slavery and polygamy in our island possessions. Government by injunction, which does away with the rights of trial by jury and makes the laboring men helpless in the hands of their employers. The degradation of silver and the retirement of the greenbacks. A government by Wall street instead of a government by the people. The placing of our dependent provinces in the hands of corrupt carpet-baggers and opening a thousand places for such political scoundrels as Itathbone and Neeley. The laboring men may not have realized that they would get all these things when they voted for a full dinner pail, but they will get them nil and the prospect is that in addition they will be cheated out of the full dinner pail before many months roll over their heads.—Nonconformist.

Use’ess Diplomatic Attaches. We assume, as a matter of course, that the United States government has had nothing to do with the alleged theft from the French war office of the plans and specifications of the new French field gun. It occurs to us, however, that in view of the current scandal, of which the United States is evidently the Innocent victim, it would l>e wise to finally withdraw from our foreign diplomatic establishments all military, naval and Irregular attaches. There is no earthly excuse for the arrangement upon any hypothesis of good faith and friendly dealing. All the Information of which we can honorably avail ourselves will come to us without the aid of these attaches. Anything beyond that must be the fruit of disreputable and clandestine operations, of which we should be ashamed.— Washington Post. Subservient to the Trusts. Mr. McKinley’s first administration was devoted to faithful service In behalf of the trusts at the expense of the American people. Under no other President had there been witnessed so complete a sacrifice of the rights of the many to the privileges of the few. The American government was transformed Into a caste government—the very evil most dreaded by Its founders, and against which they most strenuously warned those who should come after them. The result has been a tremendous Increase of trust formations and a trust power so great that the combines were enabled to re-elect to the presidency the man who had so signally represented their Interests In the government.—St. Louis Republic. Senator Vest on the Outlook. Senator Vest sees nothing to cause despair In the reeent defeat of (tie Democratic party. He places as the prime cause of defeat the disposition of the American people, manifested In quits a number of Instances in the past history of the country, to sustain an ad

ministration that is engaged in a war. regardless of the ethical merits of the controversy. Thousands of patriotic citizens, who were really opposed to McKinley’s foreign policy, Senator Vest thinks, voted for him at the last election because they thought that we should first end the war in the Philippines and then settle other questions. —Kansas City Times. Panserons to the Party In Power. The scheme to scale down Southern representation in the lower branch of Congress must reach fruition within a year or go over for another decade, since a new reapportionment, based on the census of 1900, must now be made. The chances are heavily against the consummation of the scheme, not because the Democrats will have the parliamentary power to prevent it, but because the Republican politicians, ol whom the leading one is the President himself, are pretty sure to regard the enterprise as inexpedient from a party viewpoint.—Springfield (Mass.) Republican. Democrats Will Be Powerless. In the Fifty-seventh Congress Democrats will only be uncomfortable and out of place.. If any are allowed to keep the places to which they have been elected they will be compelled to sit helplessly by while the Hanna ship subsidy job is jammed through, while the English Nicaragua Canal appropriation is made for the benefit of the administration construction party and while the trusts come in and amend their various tariff schedules to give them a greater pull at the public blood. —Washington Times. The Hanna Boom Launched. The Republican party will now take notice that the M. A. Ilanna presidential boom has been formally launched and must be takfti into serious account As for his own disclaimer of any ides of taking the nomination, it must be re membered that “no man ever refused the presidency of the United States” and that although there have been instances where nominees protested and declared they could not accept the nomination, not one of them but promptly yielded under pressure.—Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Rapacity Know* No Bounds. The extortion of the trusts are first made in those articles which constitute the necessaries of life. It is easier to collect tribute upon the food which the people eat than in any other way. But we have also the spectacle of Andrew Carnegie holding up the United States government on a contract for armor plate for our new warships, showing that the limit of the power of monopoly is not the domestic necessities of the people, but extends to include the need* of the nation as a whole.—Boston Post Mmt Get Back to First Principles. During the two presidential campaigns the Democratic party has been misled by jack-o’-lantern politics. It must come back to base and get down to bed rock if it hopes to stand upon its feet again, and unless it does the 7,000,000 votes It polled last week will begin to disintegrate, sloughing off from the main body State by State until the party Itself peters out after the manner of Its great antagonist of other days.—Louisville Courier-Journal.

Teach the Lesson Thoroughly. It is most desirable, In our view, that responsibility should be brought home to tire Republican party and at whatever cost to the country. It will not learn otherwise what Republicanism means to it And the Democratic party can well afford to endure the pain of a temporary defeat this year iu order that the lesson to the country may be taught so thoroughly for once that it will never be forgotten again.—Charleston News and Courier. Not Fo Terrible After AD. We believe in the dignity of the Senate and we rejoice that there are men there who can maintain that dignity against the upstarts that in the course of events get there occasionally. There is every reason to hope that it will be preserved, even when Roosevelt holds the gavel. He Is not such a terrible person as he lias been represented to be. His thundering has all been In the index.—Cincinnati Enquirer. | Sun lhuggc 1 by the Salt Trust. The salt trust Ims advanced the price of table salt to $2.50 i>er 100 pounds, A little while ago It was selling the same grade at sl.lO. All classes of salt are proportionately advanced, so that every packer, meat retailer, butter manufacturer, grocer, baker, ice cream maker awl finally every housekeeper i will feel the blow of the sandbag and a rise In the price of their Nvares Is Inevitable.—Minneapolis Times. The People Fay the Bills. As the trusts boost prices the people begin to realize that, after all, those millions collected from tlie trusts by Hanna to run a McKinley campaign finally come out of the pockets of the people. Electing a President In this glorious land of the free and home of the brave Is getting to be a mighty expensive luxury.—Toledo Bee. The People Need Protection. When the salt trust, the meat trust and the other trusts are able to squeeze 76,000,000 of people, Is It possible that they need protection? It Is rather ths people win need IL- Savannah News, J