The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-26
A WORD ABOUT PLATFORMS.

A WORD ABOUT PLATFORMS.
From the N. r World.
Within the ensuing month many State and
more Congressional district conventions will
be held by Democrats; and each, in accord
ance with usage, will promulgate a declara-
ton of principles. 1t concerns the welfare
and succt SIS of the party that these platforms
be wisely drawn, and it may not be amiss for
Democrats to bestow some reflection before
hand on the points it is proper to introduce
in such declarations
In the two last Presidential elections the
Democratic party has been defeated by mala-
droit platforms. In its aim and purpose, q
political platform is an electioneering mani
festo-a document intended, first, to hold the
party together on basis which all its men,
bers can accept, and, secondly, to furnish an
easy bridge on which citizens outside of the
organization can come over and strengthen it
by reinforcements. The tune should there
fore be pitched in low key. The declara-
ton should contain nothing to which the
whole party cannot readily assent, otherwise
it obstructs the first of these objects; and it
should not attempt to drive the wedge blunt
end foremost, or it will repel instead of win
ming proselytes.
The Democratic national platforms of 1864
and 1868 fatally erred in both these particu-
lars. They were not broad enough even for
the party, and contained no room for prose-
lytes. The anti-war plank of the platform of
1864 was felt to be SO damaging that the can
didate virtually abjured it in his letter ac-
cepting the nomination. There was a self
stultifying incongruity in nominating dis
tinguished and popular general on an anti
war platform. In 1868 the platform and the
candidate were also out of harmony Gov
ernor Seymour had, within the preceding
three months, made vigorous speeches against
the greenback theory, and yet he was placed
on a platform endorsing it. The platform
was in direct collision with the avowed
opinions of the candidate. But a more funda-
mental objection to it was that it was too
narrow for any party to stand on that ex-
pected within the ensuing five months to be
majority. There was at that time no majo-
rity that accepted its principles, and no pro-
liability that such majority could be created
previous to the election
The Republican party has generally man.
aged these matters more adroitly and success
fully. Instead of avowing all they wished
to accomplish, and all they hoped their party
would ultimately grow to, they have been
careful to insert the sharp end of the wedge,
we'll knowing that if it could not be driven
to the but in that way it could not at ALL
They declared at first that they only aimed
to exclude slavery from the Territories; but
they ended by abolishing it in the States.
When they were soliciting support for aboli-
ton, they disclaimed any intention of max
ing voters of the freedmen; but they never
theless gave them the suffrage as soon as they
were strong enough. In their last national
platform they declared that the regulation of
the elective franchise in the loyal
States belonged to the people of
those States; but as soon as they
had carried the election they undertook to
regulate it in all the States by Federal autho-
rity. If they had begun whore they left off,
even have formed q party capable of making
figure in politics. When public opinion is
set moving even SO feebly in any direction,
its natural tendency is to go on. party in
the flush of success may do things which
would have shocked many of its own men,
bers in an earlier stage. When train of
cars is started from the station the utmost
force of the engine can give it only slow
motion at first, but its velocity increases by
a continued application of the same power,
and in short time it goes shooting forward
on its track at the rate of forty or fifty miles
an hour. In politics success propagates itself
and breeds new successes. A party in power
may safely do things on which it could not
have ventured without ruin SO long as it was
a candidate for public favor.
"The children of this world are wiser in
their generation than the children of light"
The Democratic platform builders may learn
something from the history of the Republi-
can party during the period while it was
rising to power and gradually developing its
policy. During that period its platforms
were always accommodated to those who
marched with the rear; but it always turned
out that the rear soon passed the position
lately occupied by the advance, and the pro-
gress OF the party was on and on. sit is the
first step that COSTS" When men are deliber-
ating whether they will act with different
party, the way needs to be smoothed; but
after the old connection has been broken,
series of political victories in which they
have participated has more effect than
argument in opening their minds. We
hope the Democratic platforms this year will
be broad enough for the whole party to stand
upon, with some room for newcomers. We
may safely trust to the tendency of victorious
parties to advance TO the full length of their
principles when they are fairly on the march.
SHEPHERD AND SHEEP.
FROM the ~ Y. Tribune.
Tie beautiful language of the Scripture