The sun., 1873-09-05
A straight Democratic Contest.

There will doubtless he Republican
nominee for President in 1915 who will be
called the regular candidate. Whether
the campaign will be like that OF 1874,
when all the candidates were OF the same
party, and when the regular caucus nomi-
nee came out third IN the race cannot now
b. determined.
II state OF things analogous to the
events of 1894 does not arise three years
hence then there will be one great oppo-
sition party with its single candidate in the
field against the regular nominee of the
Republican party. Now, il is TO the last
degree important that at the close Of the
elections of this present autumn the friends
OF reform throughout the country should
be able to determine whether the Demo-
cratic party as now organized is To const-
tutc the Opposition in 1876, or whether IL
is To spring from some other source and be
composed Of materials drawn from many
quarters.
The Democrats themselves seem to un-
derstand this. Confident in their ability to
meet the demands of the eXig,ncy, or atall
events not disposed to finch from irving
the experiment. their State Conventions
rejecting all proposals for new alliances.
laying down old-fl,hioucd platforms, and
placing thereon a. candidates none but
politicians of the most orthodox type.
Even in Massachusetts,. where the Demo
crats never were successful except through
coalitions, and where members Of that
party are about u plenty rs blackbcrries
at the north pole. they do not try to take
~-'yantage of the Republican dissenson~
growing out of the bitter BUTLER and
wAsHBURN contest, but merely echo the
Ohio resolutions and nominate IA straight
out candidate for Governor. The tenor of
the discussions and the final action Of the
Democratic state Committee OF New York
in issuing their call for the State Convcu-
ton III October very clearly show that the
Democracy of this state will pursue the
same course this fall which has already
been marked out 10y their political brethren
in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and
elsewhere.
Upon the whole, il is perhaps well that
this issue is thus squarely made. The
Democrats could not try the question
under more favorable circumstances than
the present Since the last election the
prestige. The Investigations OF the past
winter proved that many of its most dis
tingulshed leaders were stepped in cor
ruptiou. The resolutions Of its State Con
ventions this year have been chiefly re-
markahle for their condemnation of th'
most notorious acts of the party for som,
time past, ana for their censure of thos'
who have long shaped its policy and worI
its honors. II is obvious, too, from th'
loosening of party lines in the Nurthwes
that large misses of the people desire
change in politics; and all history show
that the party IN power rather than Ia
party OF the Opposition suffers most 10y tb
weakening of existing ties.
II, therefore, in the contests Of this fai
the Democrats even with the aids we hav,
pointed out, triumph IN those states whIct
everybody knows they must carry +
elect "A President in 1875, theirs will thepcf
forward be recognized a. the Opp0,ticl
which is to encounter the Republican csr
dlate three years hence. If, on the cthe
hand, with wind and tide in their faro
they are pretty generally beaten, then
can hardly be doubted that large number
of the leaders of the party will admit m
fact that its usefulness is gone and its day
numbered while lIs rank and file, tired {
achieving nothing but successive defant
will insist that it stand aside and mRli