New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-05
THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY AND PEEIL.

THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY AND PERIL.
Political parties learn very slowly the les
sons of experience. And the lessons when
learned are very soon forgotten. Your party
leaders and managers are wise rarely more
than q year at time. party III power re-
buked and put in peril by its blunders and
fOllies and crimes ut the polls may straighten
itself out for a few months and seem TO be
acting wisely and discreetly, but with the re-
turn Of anything that has the appearance OF
success, or that seems like restoration of
popular confidence, it quickly repeats the story
of Jeshurun's waxing fat. OF the two great
parties the Democrats have shown less
aptitude for learning, more facility for forget
ting, and greater readiness at kicking over
and upsetting in prosperity tue well-laid plans
which they had arranged when adversely made
them wise. This perverscneSs is characteristic,
in q greater or less degree, OF both parties (;
but, as The TRIBUNE has often heretofore
pointed out, and as the history of parties
clearly demonstrates, the Democracy has
oftener illustrated it, and oftener earned defeat
thereby. The spells OF the camp have inyari-
sbly demOralized victorious Democracy, so
that III the very midst of their excuses their
shrewder aud more discerning adversaries,
rallied and reformed, have surprised them, and
turned their victory to defeat and disaster.
Time after time this has happened, until it
would seem that the blndest and most reck-
less partisan leaders had fairly learned the
lesson and plOfted by it.
But their stupidity is adamantine. Nothing
penetrates it. When the people, rising up
against the dogcneracy, the corruption and
| I & 4I,n t.rf
give to the Democrats, as they did last Fall,
the opportunity to show their capacity and
their disposition to do better, the Occa-
sion is fIittcred away and the opportunity
wasted 10y some such tremendous blunder as
was made in Ohio and Pennsylvania. All men
of sense and Judgment, who considered with
any degree Of tbOughtfulncss the results OF
lest years elections and the causes which led
to them, know that the meaning OF it all
was simply popular disgust with the Admins
tration. The Democratic party had cone
nothing for which the people should turn about
so suddenly aud call it to power; but the Repuh-
lcans through their Administration, had done
much for which the people thought they
should be driven out. 1t was thus that victory
came to the Democrats; for this reason, and
this only, that Democratic Congress was
elected. And then, with the simple fact
staring them in the face that they had achieved
success, or rather that success had been thrown
at them because the people were tired OF dis
honesty aud trickery, and l0ngcd for purcr
political atmosphere aud hOnester adninistra-
ton what did these Democratic leaders do III
Ohio and Pennsylvania but formally adopt a
policy. not only at wal with all ttcit party
traditions and opposed to all their party
record bun absolutely in itself dishonest
Was il strange that the people turned oil them
and said, "FauSh go away?"
And now there comes shortly another 0ppOr-
tunity for this party either To make an effort
to retrieve itself or to try another ghd>tly cx-
pertinent upon public crcdulity and public
patience. They have a Speaker OF the House
Of Representatives to eject. Can they be
honest! Can they even appear to be I Ii is
not SO long ago but that the youngest voter
can remember it that the party was making a
great Outuy. and very justly too, against
what was known as the Salary Grab. They
made much capital out Of the fact that il was
passed by Republican Congress and signed
by a Republican President They pushed their
opponents with il; they appealed 10 the voters
to rebuke the parry responsible for III they
carried States anG sCctod COngresSmcn on that
ISSUE. What kind OF comment is il upon the
sincerity of tho professions then made that
two OF the prominent candidates for the high
est Office the party has had within its gift for
almost twenty years, are Fernando Wood and
Samuel j. Randall, two men who voted for the
Salary Grab and took the uneaned money it
appropriated! A wear ago the people rcpudi-
atcd the Republican party because it was false
10 III professions, dishonest and corrupt. What
shall be said of the party which comes into
power and alronts common honesty, common
decency. and con mon sense in such manner as
tins? Is there TO wisdom i'll the party coun-
cils7 The adoption of the initiation programme
showed that the Democratic leaders thought
the people rogues. DO they think they arc
likewise fools
4 PROUD RECORD.