The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-09-25

avail itSelf Of the opportunity about to be
presented, Is growing prOblematioal Thrice
in succession has the, Empire State fur
nished the candidate, and thrice has he
been defeated. Again is he likely to come
from the aame locality, as if New York,
Of all the States Of the Union, was alone
capable Of furnishing the Democracy a
candidate for the Presidency. Gov. Til
den is pure aud able man, but so was
Seymour. Il was his misfortune that he
dwelt in a political Nazareth, region re-
dOlent Of bonds and stocks and usurious
per cents, and noted for its jobbing, stock
gambling and aurelian idolasry. Il has
now, in addition, an odor Of defeat and
loss Of prestige. Is itwise TO take q fourth
candidate from the same unfortunate and
unlucky State Would it not SAVIOUR
more Of political sagaeity to take the next
candidate from the great West2 But
western men are unavailable, il is said, on
account of the currency question and the
sharp divisions il is likely to engender
The same thing is equally true of eastern
men, who are as much divided on the cur
rency question as the men Of the west.
Instead of holding all such subjects in
allegiance, until after the election, leading
politicians are giving them undue promi-
nence and stirring up discussions in the
party on minor issues. These issues upon
currency and finance as laid down in tho
Ohio and Pennsylvania platforms, are
departure from both the written and the
unwritten traditions Of the party, at war
with the teachings Of Jefferson, jackson,
Benton, and other honored exemplars and
opponents Of the Democratic faith. Is
the party stricken with judicial blindness
that It's leading men can no longer perceive
the truth ? And is the finger of destiny
guiding it away from the goal Of success
when success is within It's grasp2 How
else can we account for the strange fact,
that upon the eve Of one of the most ia
vorable opportunities it has ever enjoyed
to achieve its lost power and prestige, it
is torn by discussions and divided and
distracted upon minor and unimportant
issues that ought not to be permitted for
one moment to rufle the surface of its
harmony and unanimity. 1t is vain to
talk of finance and currency, or any other
thing, until we have our hands upon the
helm, and are able to guide the ship Of
state in any course we may choose. But
with mutiny among the crew, before we
are fairly on board, there is but faint hope
that we shall recover the ship unless the
mutiny can be suppressed. Harmony and
subordination must first be secured, or
with all the fiattering prospects of success
before US, the disastrous results of "a, '6S
and ~, viii be repeated in '76. viii our
party leaders never learn wisdom from the
stern lessons Of the past It is doubtful
if they ever win. They seem to 60 for
ward, impelled by blind fatality, reckless
of every thing except their own selfish
ends. They have nearly los. sight of the
great fundamental principles on which the
party was originally founded, and no lon
ger hold and cherish the doctrines and
faith Of the fatheis. Rank heresy has
rooted out the true faith, which is now
held BY 50 few that they are unable to |
make ID the rule and guide of the party. |
Gold and silver as the basis Of our circu-
lating medium, was once cherished dog
ma Of the Democratic creed, but II is now
in danger Of falling into contempt In
tsrnal improvements by the General Gov
ernment, heresy Of the old Wing party, |
has been 50 fully embraced by the Radical |
party and sanctioned by the Democrats in |
Congress, that every shoal and swash in
our creeks aud rivers, though never touched !
by the keel of interstate commerce, are
dredged out by appropriations from the
Federal Treasury. Millions are thus ex-
pended which ought to be applied to the
extinguishmeut Of our public debt. Paeif-
10 railroads have absorbed our public
lands and unleashed the uth-hounds Of
corruption and greed. The old Demo
cratic doctrine that the public lands ought
to be reserved for actual settlers 10 build
up our new States by attracting to them
hardy, industrious and independent yeO-
manry, has been blown to the winds, and
men who assumed to be Democrats have
participated in the work. We might ex-
tend these remarks TO an indefinite length
by pointing out other NEW departures
from the old faith, but enough has been
said for our present purpose. We have
not kept the faith Of the fathers and
founders Of the Democratic party. We
must go back to frt principles, or 60 for
ward to ruin. The Democratic party is
now composed of 50 few of the old stock,
aud Of SO many Of the odds and ends Of
other organizations who never were in
doctrinated in its principles, that il is in
danger Of losing not oaly It's creed but its
very identity. II needs new organiza-
tion, q new birth, new baptism. 1t
should not only reassert and insist upon
the creed Of its founders, but purge itself
Of oil those who are not in accord with il.
Numbers, without principles, are not de-
simble. We would sooner be 10 purely
orthodox minority, than in a vast MAORI
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