The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-16
The Democratic Party.

From the Times
The Chicago Times, which has been for years
the most jealous and unscrupulous organ of the
Democratic party in the country, now urges
that party to insist upon Impartial suffrage"
which means negro suffrage, in the Southern
States. Its reason for this measure is purely
partisan: the negro question, 1t says, must be
got out OF the way before the Democratic party
can hope to regain its lost ascendancy; and the
only mode of getting it out of the way is by
granting suffrage to the negro. Therefore the
Times declares itselfin favor of this measure.
We have more than once alleged that the
Democratic party sacrificed all public interests
and measures to its own success; that it judged
all policies and all principles by their bearing
upon that specific end 1t supported President
Johnson, not that it cared straw for him, but
because it thought be might be made useful in
re, ,torlng It to power 1t prOiessed to favor the
Philadelphia Convention and plattOrm-nOt that
it cared for either, but because they seemed to
command public confidence, and thus promised
to be of service in restoring the Democrats to
office So perfectly palpaDle were the motives
OF the party in this matteT--so openly indeed
were these motives ayowed by their words and
in their actions, that the people utterly refused
to place any confidence in the party, and over
Whelmed it and Its candidates with defeat.
Now that the game OF the Democrats has
failed, the mask is thrown aside President
Johnson, having IdlleQ 10 uelp Ll6ID 10 power,
is unhesuatlngly rtpHdiated, and all pretence
OF supporting him is discarded. The Chicago
Times, the leading organ of the Democracy in
the West, and rhe most Jealous champion OF the
Presidents policy, now demands that the Demo-
Crats shall "cla fOOse rom the Administrator of
Andrew johnson, and leave that hybrid concern
to float on the sea OF public contempt" This is
not the language which Democrats have lately
been IN the habit of using to wards the President.
The Times still comedies that his policy is right
AND claims that in supporting it ''because OF its
righteousness,n the Democracy has exhibited
"a patriotism whose purity was never eXcelled;"
but now that it has tailed to give them power,
II holds that they should support it no longer.
They must hunt up another policy-one that
2OW give them votes and victory; and it hits
upon impartial suffrage" as just the thing for
the occasion.
We do not dream that the Democratic party
will act upon any such advice. We leave the
World to express the party horror at this be-
travail OF its principles, and this shameless
espousal OF the leading heresy of its enemies.
The World has been thrown iCto distressing
spasms OF shocked and indignant virtue already,
by the suggestion that the Sotuh would do well
TO reealn It's status IN tue Union by so small a
sacrifice as adooting the Constitutional Amend
ment: what Will be lis agony on tlnding negro
suffrage recommended to the South by leading
Democratic organ, as O Democratic measure
imagination fails to conceive,
But the article OF the Chicago Times is signif
cant as betrayiHg the absolute convection OF The
Democratic party OF IT'S own utter and fnal
have been complete and final. Its only chance
of recovery is by taking the EXTREMIST gronnC
of the EXTREMIST radicals. Even this would mo-
help it. The Democratic party could never be-
brought to support negro suffrage with anv
thing approaching unanimity, and the attemp
would only still further disgust and revolt tn,
great BODY of the people OF all parties. 1t woul,
Tesult precisely as the ATTEMPT OF the Demo srat
in This State did last year, when they adopted
Republican platform and nominated Repuhll
can candidates upon 1t, in the hope of carryin
the State. II matters very little what th
Democrats do: so long as they do ii as pOrtt
nnder their old party organization, with thei
old party leaders, aud for the ayowed purpos
of TeeaininP. their lost ascendanoy, they wi
never gain the public confidence essential
success. .eY