The New York herald., 1879-11-30
Democrats All Adrift on the
Political Ocean.
WANTED, A POLICY.
Another Executive, Document SurreptitiOuSly
Offered for Publication.
PACIFIC RAILROAD QUESTIONS
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

wAsmseTos. Now 30. 1879.
DEMOCRATS GATHERING AT THE CAPITAL IN A
DoLEFUL MOOD.
The friends OF the late democratic party have
dropping In from different parts OF the country all
day. and as they meet each other in hotel corridors
have been solernny comparing notes and discussing
the of the defeat along the whole line this
fan. To listen the talk OF knot of Eastern.
Western and Southern democrats the rotunda
OF Wizards this evening good deal like hear
ng'the testimony at a coroner's inquest. There are
some light hearted and sanRuine who profess 10
believe that the party the brakemen reported OF
the bull who had butted against the locomouVe'
'not dead, but spachelcss" But the general dispo-
sition Is to say little as possible about
the present condition Of the patient, but
great deal about the nature OF the accident
which befell him In the October and November
elections. Mr.. Frank Hurd, of Ohio who IL
hard-inoney democrat. thinks II was Ewing who did
the mischief. other people think II was Tammany.
Mr. Warner thinks IL was the bloody shirt. Senator
Thurman absolutely refuses to say what 1t that
hit him. Some others think 1t Tilden. An
anxious inquirer. with zeal and strength enough to
go into all the hotels and ask every accessible demo-
crat, reports TO your correspondent this evening that
lie cannot decide whether 1t is case Of
paralysis or OF dclrium tremcns. and that until
Mr. Springer be got to declare the result of his
diagnosis II II In vain for common mortals to hope
for u satisfactory solution OF the great onundrum.
"what it struck the democratic party? Mean
time there is q general tacit admission that some
thing has gone wrong. and great deal OF curiosity
how the authors of the extra session will act
when they face to face with their fellow demo-
Gratis on Monday
SPEAKER nASpALL's PourroN.
1t is perhaps hopeful sign that Speaker Randall
s reported to be carefully washing his hands of the
extra session blunder and it would not be surpris-
ing IL IT should turn out when the whole matter has
been talked that nobody guilty Of that
piece OF stupidity and that 1t only
serupuous republican trick. As to. policies
for the future. almost every democratic
statesman is prepared to show his party
how TO get out of tho mire. and there
are as many policies almost there members Of
the minority. 1t s barely possible that out Of tho
present mudde may come by and by some coherent
and positive policy. But it Is not to say how.
because whichever way the party is turned 1t Is sure
to drop good many of its members and far no
democrat appears to have brains and courage
enough to risk detection In the hope Of greater
gains in other quarters. To throw sprat to catch
whale seers to the democratic chiefs u wasteul
and ruinous method OF fishing. The authors OF the
extra session pleaded last February that 1T abso
tunately the issue they got up defeated them
this fall. and now they urgently need
issue. and don't know what IL shall
be. To reform the Tariffs to split the party at
and sacrifice number OF districts. and probably
States. To get the ''rigid economy" horse Is to
ALLEVIATE great part of the Southwest. which Is
clamorous for the old flag aud appropriation.
To go for unlimited silver and green-
backs would please the Southwest, but
would sacrifice the East. To 90 for
sound money would arouse Western
clainor. To propose appropriations and subsidies
would be TO loso both East aud West and moreover.
that is what the republicans arc ready to do. II
they could catch the democrats proposing 1t they
would take the wind out of their sails great haste.
1t results that good many OF the democratic states
men recall with regret the pleasant days when
small handful of them in both houses had jolly
time worried the republicans aud had no respon-
sbiiity themselves for policy.
How long can party hold together whose men,
bers and leaders are not agreed upon any point
OF policy? II is impossible to tell. The repub-
licans. who are more agreed than the democrats.
hold together very well. They have the advantage
OF thorough discipline and the further advantage
that they work with tho brains at the top.
But there is a very general impression here
among close observers OF political phenomena that
while tho session about to begin may have no i'm
portant results. II may. perhaps. change tho whole
face of politics. Party bonds have hung very lightly
on both sides. and even the triumphant
republicans admit here In private CONVEX
satlon that II for the democrats should
not blnndcr they might carry tho country
next year. at is not probable. but 1t is possible"
said republican leader here to-day this subject
"Tho country is very evenly divided after the
struggle. and IL the democratic party had brains and
,i.tl,t ilv boa
ttcly II has neither"