The Portland daily press., 1875-11-16
II Mont Do.

We have heretofore called attention TO the
article of the Belfast Journal which scouts
the necessity of the Democratic party having
a policy in the pending campaign. As an ex-
cuse for this course, the journal asserts that
the Wing party in its occasional triumphs
over the Democracy, secured them without
the announcement Of policy. We think
this is hardly true. The Harrison campaign
was made upon the Clay doctrine known as
the American policy and the question of
the advisability of the general government
making improvements upon rivers and har-
bors was another issue. Are we not right?
The peril which the Journal foresees, it
knows by bitter experience. In the past the
Democratic party has had policy and that
policy has been ruinous. Since 1856 it has
not been very successful in making policies.
In 1860 the Democratic party had two poll
cies and that is what the Journal fears may
result if the Democratic leaders attempt to be
statesmen instead of mere railers in the next
national convention of the party. The same
Democratic leaders made such wretched
blunders in creed-making in 1854 and in 1868
that it is no wonder that the Journal looks
upon such an attempt by the next Democrat
ic national conclave with something of the
''burnt-child-dreads-th feeling.
But unfortunately the Democratic party is
in position where it must announce poll
cy of some sort. For once it finds itself in a
position of responsibility. 1t has decided
ascendency in the House of Representatives
which meets the first Monday OF next month.
The party finds itself in a place where mere
fault.fnding, misrepresentation and denuncia-
ton will not suffice. Even its COMMITTEES to
investigate Republican shortcomings and
sins will not fill the bill. The country can.
not be governed by investigations. The peo-
pie will not be satisfied with party whose
only claims for recognition is that they are
able to show that bad men have robbed the ma
ton during Republican administration. If
the party leaders have nothing else to offer,
the people will remind them that the last ma.
tional Democratic administration not only
robbed the nation but did 50 for the purpose
of accomplishing its destruction. They will
remember, too, that large part of the Republi-
can party came from the Democracy and that
there is every reason to believe that very
large number of its multitude of bad men still
remain in its ranks.
The constitution confers upon that House
in which the Democrats have majority, the
power of raising revenues and fixing the
taxes of the country. In nearly every state
the leaders of the Democratic party have de-
clared against the present method of raising
revenues. They have denounced the tariff
now in operation as legalized robbery-as a
policy Of taking from the poor to further en-.
rich the opulent. Indeed, we have no
words adequate to express the injustice of
present tariff or the amount of injury it in
| ficts upon the business Of the country as set
| forth by Democratic leaders. Now if these
Democratic leaders have been honest about
| this matter; indeed, if they believe that the
| present tariff is as pernicious ia the remotest
| degree as they have declared it to be during
l the past eight years, they are, in good faith,
bound not Only to present wise and states
man-like plan of taxation but to adopt it by a
party vote in the House. If they shall do
this then to that extent will they show the
people that they are not only honest IN their
professions but so united and consistent as to
be able to adopt plan Of their own. The
Journal will urge that this is not necessary
earnest free-trader as it processes to be-be-
cause it forsees that Sunset Cox, free trader,
and Sam Randall, protectionist, cannot agree
upon Democratic policy of taxation. Never
theless after nearly decade of denunciation
of the present tariff policy, the country has q
/ right to demand of the Democratic House a
plan by which the enormous abuses which
that party has denounced, shall be done away
| and show their accord on such a plan by
passing it by the party vote of the House
! If they do not they either acknowledge them
selves incompetents or stigmatize themselves
| as noisy and mischievous ranters and pOliti
l cal mountebanks. We repeat: 1t is wholly
l within the power of the Dem ocracy in thu
next House to show the country the SINGER
I ity of their professions respecting the tariff
and unless they do it, they forfeit all claims t.
the confidence of the country.
For more than eight years, Democratic
conventions and organs have declared agains
the national banking law. The system @
national banking has been declared monop
oily and deaounced in those choice epithet
which are alone known to Democratic journ
alism. In our own state nearly every Demo
cratic paper is opposed to the national bank
Ing system. Now, if the Democracy real
oppose the national banks and think them
4 ind; fo hvc; opL a
that, by all means let them make their word
good by repeating the present laws and en-
| acting others in accordance with their theo
| ries Let them proceed to put them into
liquidation, call in their bills and issue green
backs instead.
Then there comes. the currency question
| Let the Democratic House give the country
| policy upon this most important of al
| questions. II it believes in speedy return
| to specie payments, let it take meas ures tC
bring it about. II, as the party conventions
speakers and papers assert, the Demo
cratic party is opposed TO resumption in 1879
let its majority in the national House, speak
ing for the party, declare when the country
will return to honest money, when it will fix
| date for the measure of values by a fixed
standard. II it believes in further issue o.
greenbacls, let it so vote. The Democratic
House really believes that the business of the
country is paralysed by the uuwise financial
legislation of past Republican Congresses, its
patriotic duty is to show its desire to relieve
the people of their present embarrassment by
adopting measures which they believe will
bring about better things and thereby throw
the responsibility of rejecting them upon the
Republican Senate.
But fault finding won't do. If one man
seeks position which another holds, he is not
likely to get it by berating the man holding
it. To insure success, he must show the
methods by which be is certain that he can
do better than the other. So the party that
| desires to secure the confidence OF the people
must do something else thin denounce the
party in power and the measures it has adopt.
ed. 1t must have policy OF its own aud be
able to show that 1t is worthy of the conf
L se lcs.