New-York tribune., 1879-11-12
pPJycTpLtS gEFOgE CANDIDATES..

To most OF the leading journals if we may
Judge from their columns, the only question
Of importance MS TO the next Presidential cam
paign seems 10 bc this: Who will be nomi
nated7 Possibly there is a tendency to over
look the fact that nine-tenths of the votes
cast, at any National election, arc cast with
sole regard to the political principles in
volycd
The importance of recent elections lies
mainly in the fact that they have done much
10 determine the principles upon which the
contendlng parties shall appeal to the people
at the next election. The Democrats have
hoped to succeed by appealing to the people
on the financial questions. But their defeat,
in that quarter, has been decisive. The
Grcenback party has been extinguished, and
the sOft-mOney Democrats have been every
where defeated, until it Is doubtful whether
any Democratic Convention OF candidate Will
be rash enough to go before the people with
any form of initiation. 1t is not TO be sup
posed that there has been any change In the
general tendency of the party. Neither has
there been a material change in the temper Of
Republican voters. The victories OF hard
money have convinced managers Of both
parties that IL Is not safe and will not pay to
favor initiation, and both viii do whatever
they can to win the confidence Of hard-mOney
voters.
Again, the Democrats hoped to succeed by
appealing TO public opinion against the cleo
ton laws. Some journals In this nclghbor-
hood made this q speciality, and went into
frequent Mysteries about Davenport and his
Iron cages" There is no sort OF doubt that
public opinion at the North heartily sustains
all measures that have yet been adopted to Sc
cure fair and honest elections. The Outcly oil the
Democrats on that point has cost them votes
1t has advertised the fact that there was. and
Is vet great need Of sharp restraint to pre-
vent Democratic frauds at the ballot-box. In
asmuch as desire 20 prevent fraud Is shared
not only 10y al Republicans, but by many
DemocratS-for no voter can tell how soon his
political freedom may depend upon his ability
TO resist at the ballot-box the managers of
his own party-this dispute has drawn votes
to the support of Republican candidates. 1t
ought to be accepted as an axiom in politics
that any party will lose votes which attempts
to break down barriers erected TO prevent
Illegal voting.
Still less can the Democrats afford to face
another election as the party of notification.
An tho "tall talk" all the hot words and
loud threats, uttered by Democratic members
Of Congress- in respect to the Executive veto
and the right way of meeting 1t, will be noted
by capable historians as the main cause of the
remarkable Democratic defeat in 1879. The
party did not have sense enough 10 suppress
It's nullihers or its revOlutiOnists, and the ma
tural result was that sober and sagacious men
determined not TO intrust power 10 party
so reckless II the Democrats hope TO succeed
at all they must begin by driving out of their
counsels men who flippanHy threaten revolu-
tionary measures In order TO hear applause
from IA conVocatlon of weak headed and hot
tempered partisans
The Democratic party goes forward to the
next Presidential campaign without q single
idea for which 1t has cOntended, and dares
still TO contend. There is talk of O vigorous
campaign In Congress this Winter on Ques-
tons of taxation. Republicans may heartily
hope that this blunder also will be committed
by party which can servs the country only
hy abolishng itself. The revenue laws of the
United States are not perfect, but they COM
pare crcditably with the best ever framed
under Democratic rule. The worst and most
vicious changes IN them, for ten years past,
have been made mainly by Democratic votes
But if the Democratic party has not sin
gle principle for which it contend with
hope OF success, what difference does it make
whether il names one man or another as its
candidate The great tide of public opinion,
which Democrats have discovered that moth
ing can resist, is moved scarcely at all by any
liking or dislilnng for candidate. Personal
popularity is only the foam on the crest of
the wave. The Democratic party may nomi-
nate any man 1t pleases, as long as it holds
its present position with respect TO the graver
questions Of public policy, and the Republi~
can party will defeat it easily with either of
several candidates.
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