The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-06-17
DEnOCRATIC ISSUES.

CTVU I1S ~ ! 4tHteS'
There are signs of difficulty, il not OF
tribulatiOn, in the Democratic councils.
What shall be the issues of the party in
the Fall caInpaign2-is a question
which the more thoughtful OF the Dam :
ocratIc Journals are discussing with
good temper and great earnestness.
Here and there disposition to adhere
to the old platform is manifested. The
lesson of the Presidential contest con.
veys 20 these leaders no warning, no
moral. They maintain that Democratic
issues are eternal, and that sooner or
later they must triumph. The devO-
ton to exploded ideas manifested by
Alexander H. Stephens has imitatOrs in
the North and West. The number of
these blind worshippers is evidently
diminishing; but they are visible IN
Ohio, despite Vallandigham's CONVEX
sion 10 common sense, and iHSPenns'
ylvania. where a strong underCurrent
in favor OF Hancock's nomination Tor
the Governorship has suddenly come
to light.
In Ohio and Indiana, we observe an
inclination to make the Fltteenth
Amendment ground OF contentlon'
From the support of political equality
regardless of color, the Republicans OF
those States, or OF any State, cannot es-
cape If they would. They are commit
ted to it irrevCCabIy, as party, and
Justice as we'll as consistence requires
thatthey shall give II no lukeWarm sup
port. A principal which follows eman-
cIpation as legiLimately, as entran-
chisement follows naturalization, and
which is the chief cornerstone of the
Reconstruction acts, cannot anywhere
be excl6ued from the Republican plat
form. The undetermined question il
whether the Democrats, forgetting nOtn-
Ing and learning nothing, will make
tn o.
and on The answer il some degree de-
ponds the completion OF the OHIO con-
test. The Democratic press in the lar
ger cities has thrown down the gaunl-
let, and aVOwed u purpose to make the
contest contingent upon color. In the
fact of opposition to colored votes. as
evinced by the Democratic journals OF
Cleveland and Cincinnati, we have the
only known clue to the Democratic
platform In that State. Their brethren
In Pennsylvania will probably move
in the same direction.
Further West, Democrats more COR
rectly appreciate the Significance of re-
cent changes and the folly OF attempt
ing to renew the struggle on the issues
OF last November. The necessity oil
acq uiring fresh support impels them TO
urge upon the party revision OF It's
stereoty ped creed, and an abandonment
o: its bitter, unrelenting policy. The
aud conclusive. ION the old ground =
50 the suggestion runs-"it is idle TO
expect accesstons; before these can be
mad, the party must throw overheard
its offensive dOgmas and its blind pilots,
aud 50 adapt its programme to the
course Of events as to remove the issues
OF the war from the field of contro.
verey." From the amidst the darkness
OF the Indiana Democracy this view
has come more than once recently; and
we trace 1t in greater strength and dis
tinCtnesS in the better atmosphere OF
Wisconsin, and amid the 1nVlgorat1ng
breezes of The Pacific. California Dem.
positions into which color does not en-
Ter. They profess a readiness to wage
the coming contest without mentioning
the negro. They have come TO the con-
clusiOn that pride of race and prejudices
born of a system that has perished, are
sorry elements In campaign 10 De oe-
cided by intelligence and patriotic
spirit. For them both Chinamun and
negro have lost their terrors: and
the necessity Of putting In their
places objects more nearly al
lied TO the functions OF government, the
promotion of internal Improvement
and material prosperity, is candidly adj
united. 1.-THE tone OF their newspapers
affords Il criterion. the California De-
nOcraCV are far ahead of the party in
Ono, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, in
practical sagacity. In Wisconsin, again,
ihere are Democratic leaders who are
prepared to go further than nero ne
Cation on the negro suffrage question.
Not content with silence. they propose
to make universal suffrage TO all citi-
zens of tho United States, by State ac-
tlon," an article Of the pATIy's creed,
The proposition has its strongest udvO'
Gates in the German press OF MllWAu-
kee, but II is sustained with more or less
courage by English writing contempo-
raries in the State, and will be sub
ject of contention when the time for
constructing a local platform arrives.
The Democratic party is not party
in which new ideas make way quickly.
1t Is Il party of dogmas and prejudices
and stupid uperstitions-one that wor-
ships wooden idols, and summarily
Furnishes all departures from its anti
quated faith. We are not sanguine
enough, therefore, to LOOK for immedi-.
alto results from The liberslizing ele-
ments that are at work in the West.
Time works wonders, however, and by
and by we may expect to find the DEM
ocralic party reforming itself as Il pre-
lude to efforts for reforming the cOun-
Try.