Let Democrats Consider

The great battle for tariff reform 's ended for the present, and democracy after twenty years of warfare aas come into a plundered inheritance. Monopoly, with its grip somewhat weakened, 'tis true, still maintains its dominance over a goodly portion of the people's heritage. The associations of years, unitedwith the"communismof pelf" have proven too strongto be shaken off at once. The people are disappointed at having to accept less than was expected and promised, and there is a disposition to rebuke those who are responsible for the shortcoming. Under such circumstances the despoiled voter is liable to do something rash in his efforts to punish the spoilers. In the present instance, to punish those whose treachery made partial failure of democratie hopes possible, is to strike down our own kin. Nevertheless, the act would be honorable fratricide, if the traitors alone can be reached. But before the impulse for vengeance is indulged, time should be taken to consider all consequences. Mere gratification of a desire for vengeance in politics, as in everything else, is base. No democratie voter should take any step that will redound to the advantage of the party that is responsible in the first place for the iniquitous system which he would destroy. There certainly svould be no rebuke to plntocratic rule and monopoly domination in restoring the republican party to power. Such a course would re ward the monopolists instead of punishing them. It is well understood by the trusts that they can get more from the republicans than from the democrats. The sugar trust, for instance, got one-half a cent a pound from the former and but one-eighth of a cent from the latter, and that only after the most stubborn resistance. It is not surprising, therefore, that the president of the trust should declare that they greatiy preierred the republican schedule. To undertake to punish the democratie party for its failure to strangle the trusts, by returning the republican party to power, would be to :asten more strongly the grip of monopoly domination. The only way the people can reDuke the trusts is to turn down the trust senators Gorman, Smith, Brice, et al. and send in their stead real democrats who will do the people's bidding. The immediate representatives of the people quickly obeyed their commands and passed a tariff bill in substantial accord with party pledges, but it was delayed and finally defeated through the opposition of the above mentioned bogus democrats. At no time during the tariff war has the senate had a majority for the full measure of tariff reform demanded by the people. That body is stil! dominated by the fetich of protectionism. The only way for the people to overthrow monopoly domination will be to return a maiority of real democrats to both houses 01 congress. The trouble is not with democratie principies, but with a few senators who are republicans in everything but name. Relief for the people can only be securec through the purging of the senate of the agents of combined capita and making it truly democratie The party has given the country the best attainable under the circum stances and there is no reason there fore why any democrat who is such from principie should antagonize his party this fall by throwing a vote for those whose principies he has always condemned.