IF ONE were to declare himself a Democrat or a Republican and the claim
should be contested he would find it a difficult one to prove. The
missing link in his chain of evidence would be the major premise in
the syllogism necessary to the establishment of his political status--a
definition of "Democrat" or "Republican." Most of the statesmen in
public and private life who are poll-parroting these words, do so with
entire unconsciousness of their meaning, or rather without knowledge
that they have lost whatever of meaning they once had. The words are
mere "survivals," marking dead issues and covering allegiances of the
loosest and most shallow character. On any question of importance each
party is divided against itself and dares not formulate a preference.
There is no question before the country upon which one may not think
and vote as he likes without affecting his standing in the political
communion of saints of which he professes himself a member. "Party
lines" are as terribly confused as the parallels of latitude and
longitude after a twisting earthquake, or those aimless lines
representing the competing railroad on a map published by a company
operating "the only direct route." It is not probable that this state of
things can last; if there is to be "government by party"--and we should
be sad to think that so inestimable a boon were soon to return to Him
who gave it--men must begin to let their angry passions rise and take
rides. "Ill fares the land to hastening ills a prey," where the people
are too wise to dispute and too good to fight. Let us have the good old
political currency of bloody noses and cracked crowns; let the yawp
of the demagogue be heard in the land; let ears be pestered with the
spargent cheers of the masses. Give us a whoop-up that shall rouse us
like a rattling peal of thunder. Will nobody be our Moses--there
should be two Moseses--to lead us through this detestable wilderness of
political stagnation?