THE AMERICAN DEMOCAATIC PARTY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12726, 13 April 1911, Page 4

THE AMERICAN DEMOCAATIC PARTY.

Though a fervent Democrat, MiThomas Nelson Page, the American novelist, Jike many fellow Democrats, fears that the party may not prove equal to the opportunities which;events seem to be fashioning for it. In, an a.tide Li tho '' North American Re- I view," he reminds his party leaders of, the necessity of composing tlieir differences and uniting on fundamental prin- | ciples. By 1912 "the shattered and shaken forces of privilege" will have recovered from their recent overthrow, md the fight will have to be found over jigain. First of all, it will be necessary Tin make the House of Representatives a genuinely deliberative body. "It has become tho fashion to aid in the effort U- bind the sins of Republican rule on :Mr Cannon's back. He is undoubtedly entitled to be laden with bis full share of this burden, but he was only more bold and more honest than most of his former followers, who now assail him. "When he was most dictatorial they were most subservient; they surrendered to him the right of the people to be heard on the floor of the Congress; and. it was only when the'people revolted tlwt.thoy Mastered up the courage to aid the democracy in resistance to his methods." Mr Cannon, it will be remembered, as Speaker of the House, used his power of nominating committees- in such a way,as tc exclude every essential point of the Republican policy and especially the tariff from the possibility of serious attack. Though stripped of much of the enormous authority he enjoyed;'before the revolt of the Insurgent Republicans, Mr Cannon still possesses "unduly large* powers of "■managing", the business before the House. ; The , Speaker must, in Mr Page's opinion, be, made responsive to the will of the majority.- This'done, the Democrats must, either "proceed to drastic downw.ard revision of the tariff, or be prepared to, return to the wilderness' They must then hold the balance fairly between conflicting interests, and while standing boldly forth as champions of the -rights of the: people as1 against .the. claims, of monopoly, musty above all else, refrain from flinging themselves into the-arms of a class, whether capitalists'or labourites. "The party-of the future is the party that shall stand-for all'tlie people and their rights under tlie law—for true democi.'icy, and the constitution." Mr Page evidently regards the Democratic Party as so uncertain a quantity that lie does not know whether most to fear a timorous hesitation on its part to effect the fiscal and other changes which the majority of its supporters expect, or a rash willingness to disturb the Whole political and economical equilibrium of the country by yielding to the temptation to seek revenge. The party has been so frequently split into-hostile sections that its friends are almost morbMly nervous about its chance of holding together under the strain which will be placed on its leaders when, offices come to bo allotted.