National Republican., 1873-06-05
THE FUTURE OF TIE DEMOCRACY.


Tue Now York World Of yesterday lays
down the conditions upon which, in Its opln-
ion, the future succcss Of the Democracy do
ponds. The opinion Of 80 able and staunch
an organ a. that Of the World Ia entitled TO
the most careful consideration, not only by
the Democracy ITSELF but by the opposition.
It says, FIRST Of all, that ''thc party shah
not grope In the tombs vainly trying to piece
together tho skeletons Of dead issues." This
single sentence IL full Of meaning and Of
force, and II the Democracy shall be content
to accept 1t as the HrSt plank In lts platform
In other words, II II shall come up TO the
standard for which the Republican party ha,
been 20 long contcndlng-lt will have
made greater stride than II has yet been
able TO make. The skeletons Of dead Is
sues" mean, II they mean anything, the ac-
ceptancc Of all the constitutional amend
ments, In letter as well as In spirit, the edu-
cation of the negro, tho giving to him an
equal chance in the race for political prefer
ment; in other words, the political equality
Of oil men before the law. The World
which Is undoubtedly the leading organ Of
the Democracy, presents itself In the above
sentence squarely upon this doctrine and
gives In its full adhesion to Il. But th.
question naturally sugg csts itself, Ia the
party ready and willing to follow the leader
ship Of its mouthpiecc? So far as the North
and East and West arc concerned, VIC have
not the slightest doubt that the Democratic
masses are fully up to the Intellectual and po-
lItlcal level Of the World, and are prepared to
follow II to the new fields Of political en-
dcayor to which Il would led them; but
totally different condition OF affairs exists
in the South. Even In Virginia, which ls the
most advanced, in q political point Of Wow,
Of all the Southern States the opposition to
the amendments to the Constitution, or at
least to the spirit OF them, Is as bitter and
unrelentlsg to-day a. Il ever was. The Dem
ocratic organs, under the leadership Of the
Bourbon Richmond Enquirer, are endeavor-
ing TO draw up one race against the other,
and TO make the question of color almost the
sole issue OF the approaching fall campaign.
The same ls true OF tho Carollnas and Of
Georgia, which cannot boast Of q single Re-
publican daily paper throughout Its entire
extent. The negro question, as II Is called,
has been settled long ago In the North, but
Ii Ia almost a. far from being settled In
the South as ever IL was, and therein
lies the great weakness Of the Democratic
party. The Southern Democratic politicians,
instead Of consolidating and winning over the
blacks, have oppressed them In every way
they could; they have formed open and secret
organizations against them, and, as far as
II was In their power 10 do so have taken, away
from them every opportunity to reap the full
benefits Of the policy Of the last ten years
Can the World bring the South mp to Its
PLATFORM and II not, what probability Is
there that 1t eau succeed In future cam
palgns without that section?
The second condition OF Democratic sue
cess which the World lays down renounces
tho Cincinnati platform. II says; THAT pre-
Cious document turns Its face to the past. Il
rcnounccs much; Il dlsclaims mueh; II PRO
poses next to nothing. On all dead lssues 1t
Is perfectly satisfactory; on all living ques-
tlons, with the single exception OF the civil
service, 1t Ia silent or cvAslvc." And agalni
The Cincinnati platform Ia an arranged,
numbered, labeled collection OF discarded
fossil opinions" This opinion, only twelve
months after this same World went into &C.
stasies over this Cincinnati platform and In
dorscd the nominees who stood upon II, Is
not little refreshing Hardly any journal
In the country laborcd hardcrN for Its
triumph than did the World; no ono
did more effective service. In
dash, vim and argument II surpassed even
the Tribune, which II Is now well known Mr..
Greeley himself directed, although he had
nominally retired from lts control. The Gin
clnnati platform was regarded as, and In
fact was, the most advanced expression Of
party opinion that the Democracy had up TO
that time uttered. II was too far advanced
for the Blanton Duncan Convention that met
In Louisville and nominated 0Conor; too ad-
yanccd for the Chicago Times, which stood by
the old Democratic flag, But now the World
goes still further aud plainly tells its party
that to succeed they must be more republican
than the Republicans themselves. Il Ia to be
sincerely hoped that our contemporary will
succeed In its efforts. The sooner the Ques-
lions and issues growing out OF the late war
are buried and forgotten the better will II be
for the whole country. Republicans have no
desire to pcrpctuato and keep them alive.
In our opinion the Republican party wishes to
address Itself to new lSsues and new ideas-ls-
sues andidcas which are pressing upon II every
hour, demanding consideration aud ISOLATION.
There is the labor question, the question Of
the railroads, Of Industrial development, the
extension OF our territory, the restoration Of
our commerce, and almost Il thousand other
social and politico-economic measures. The
sooner VIC throw the past behind US, and
turn TO the future with all It's mighty prob
lens, the better will It he for all parties and
all classes.