Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-11-05
CLEARING the DEMOCRATIC
ATMOSPHERE.

/
ATMOSPHERIC.
Tho collapse Of The Ohio idea" is
like lifting heavy handicap from u
race horse that carried too much dead
weight to win, even If his natural
speed and bottom were equal to those
OF his competitors This opportune
check in Ohio makes 1t reasonably
certain that in the great Presidential
race the Democratic party will not be-
handicapped either With an imitation
candidate or an imitation platform.
1t is common 10 say that storms
clear the atmosphere. When the air
is loaded with noisome vapors and
heavy fogs dim the clear light oil
heaven the overshadowing blaclness
of violent thundergust, although it
may seem to increase the depressing
sense Of suffocalion for the moment,
is the harbinger of returning clear.
ness, transparency, easy respiration
and bracing atmospheric conditions
In this respect the physical world is q
type Of the moral and the political.
In the records of religious experience
the number Of men who, like Bunyan
and the illustrious st. Augustine, have
been transformed into eminent saints
by an overwhelming sense Of their
own excesses, is beyond computation.
To be sure, it is only noble natures
that can thus profit by their errors,
and this is as true of churches, Of gov
ernments and Of political parties as it
is Of individual men. The heavy
calamities brought upon the Catholic
Church by the Protestant Reformation
were the means OF its own puritica
ton, because the Church had within
itself the seeds OF vigorous spiritual
rejuvcnation. France was not destroy.
ed by the wild orgies OF its first revo
luton, as Burke and others predicted
it would be, but derived new energy
even from the bloody Reign of Terror,
and soon became the conqueror of Eu
rope, because the nation was strong
and acquired a new sense of its power
by the violence and excosses which at
tended its emancipation from the vices
and oppression OF the dncien regime.
1t is only base or effete natures that
sink and wilt under the chastisement
OF their follies. Strong and sound ma.
tures--natures in which there are no.
bic qualities worth saving-rise vic.
torious over their own mistakes and
gather new energy by the rebound.
We do not doubt that the Demo
cratic party possesses this power OF
recuperation, and that it has yet a
great part to act in the political fife of
the country. In spite of the financial
heresies which it has fostered since the
return Of peace, the Democratic party
represents some fundamental princi.
pies whose preservation is essential TO
the perpetuity of our free institutions.
1t comprises one-hali Of the voting
citizens Of the United States, and
there would be a reason TO despair
Of tie Republic if So large part OF
our people had lost the sense of patriot
ism and public virtue. We believe
nothing Of the kind. We believe that
the average Democrat is as moral and
AS well meaning as the average Re.
publican. In recent years the party
has not had fair play, owing to perils
of bad leadership and "perils from
false brethren Saddled with repudia.
ton in the West and bound to the cor.
rupt carcass Of Tammany in the East,
it has been its misfortune to carry "a
burden to sink navy" Reputation
is dead and Tammany is committing
suicide; and when the Democratic
party has no longer these two mill.
stones hanging enough to keep its
head above water and swim ashore.
With good leadership and wiser coun-
sells il may have as great a career in
the future asit formerly had in the past.
A party which has 80 lllustrious a
history, party which has so much
genuine sympathy with the sons of
toll who form the mass Of the Ameri.
can people, u party which, in spite OF
its alterations and flagrant deviations
from principle, is still the main bul.
wark Of popular rights against usurp-
ing power, cannot be destroyed by its
own blunders unless 1t persists in them.
II resembles an ancient family, which,
after having prudently managed its
estates through successive generations
comes at last to have foolish and
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