Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-05-01
Another ".ge,Y Departure %

The New York Wor!9-which in its
endaavor to find I; way for the Demo
cratic party Ort of the bog of defeat
and dependency into which it has
fallen, made seveaI "new departures"
only to founder deeper III the mud
has once more proclaimed in two col
umns OF dpu5le-lea:ted type its purpose
Of striking ont in new direction.-
This time the road to party saiva-
tion is the Free Trade path, without
turning or deviation. Free Trade aud
Democracy are to be held convertible
terms, it hcin impossible to be a Free
Trader without being Democrat, and
no person having Il rightt0 the name
Of Democrat unless ne is an unco mpro-
missing Free Trs;,icr. On the latter
point the HOrid IS emphatic. 1t
iscornS political association with any
! lPrOtectionist." mo Proteeti9nist can
be & Democrat at ALL" 1t viii condone
the political offences of any one on any
other point provided hearty and un-
/ compromising profession of faith in
the Free Trade gospel is made. 1t will
accept no profession or works hitherto
| held good in Democratic esteem where
disbelief or doubt in that gospel is en-
tertained. That is the unpardonable
sin. .-!-..-.
The W0rt1 closes in utter disgust the
record opened at the Cincinnati Con-
vention. On the opening pages of that
record Free Trade was legibly inscrib-
| ed. IT was soon defaced and eventual
| ly Obhterated by the temporizing poll
cy of ''publind politicians" who fear
ed thelOss of Pennsylvania. The Re
publican soreheadS who went into the
| Convention shouting Free Trade"
come out of it yelling for ProtectiOnist
candidate and nOn-c0mmittal plat
form. The World says with disgust:
We viii frankly say that it seems to
u5 q piece of no ordinary assurance for
the same Republican journals ttat last
year advocated the Cincinnati 0onven-
ton as a Free Trade demonstration to
hold out new lures to the Democratic
party. If they could move back the
lhands ON the dial, and put Us precisely
where we stood one year ago, before
the authors of the Cincinnati Conven-
ton had violated their Free Trade
pledges, we hardly know what eonces-
sion5 we should not be willing to make
| to bring all the Free Traders iuto one
efficient, disciplined party. But, since
! they deceived us last year, how can
they expect us to trust them again?
The WOr{J explains its views as TO the
relations of Free Trade and Democracy
"Theipolitical philosophy OF whichFree
| Trade is one OutgrOwth includes all
that is fundamental in Democratic
policy. The underlying principle is,
that private men, who oeStoW most OF
their attention on their affairs, are the
best Judges of their own interests.
Extend that principle, and it follows
that each local community understands
its local interest better than any cen
tral government can, achich is The spinal
States rights doctrine"
Pennsylvania will, of course, be lost
to the Democratic party by this newest
"new departure" but the World hopes
to more than counterbalance the loss by
accessions from the West. 1t is sim
patient to see the chatf winnowed out
and all the wheat brought together" +"
and adds: ..
But, since the abortive experiment of
last year, we do not expect to see this
done by coalition. We stake all our
hopes on making the Democracy an
out-and-out, thick-and- thin, aggres-
sive Gf you please, iRtOidat) Free Trade
party, subordinating all issues to this,
and thereby drawing to itself all citi-
! ZenS who have true appreciation of
this principle. te i-