New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-11-28
4 DISTRUSTED PATTY.

About this time it occurs to many persons
that the Democratic party is heavy load Tor
any candidate to carry. The usual conditions
are reversed. Generally the party carries the
candidate to victory or defeat, and its anxiety
is to find one who will not prove too heavy u
burden. In the nature of things, live party
ought to be stronger than any individual rep
resentative of its opinions and purposes. IL 1t
i'm any degree deserves success, party must
have a greater public confidence than one OF
its members enjoys. But the tone OF public
discussion, during the past week or two has
disclosed thorough understanding OF the
fact that the Democratic party, If 1t is to WIN
at all, must be pulled through by some candi-
date, his money, his popularity, or his hold
upon public confidence. All Democrats vir-
tually acknowledge this fact, and yet they
must realize that it is most Illuminating one
If any one member of the party Is stronger
than the party, and enjoys a larger measure
of public regard and confidence, it follows
that all the rest of the party must be con-
sidered a minus quantity politically.
Mr. Bayard, men say, might be elected, but
for the grave doubt whether he would be able
TO control his party. A certain measure OF
public esteem he has. But those who think
well of him distrust Che organization and the
body of voters called Democrats, and reflect
with apprehension that he might prove quite
as poyeress to control that party, if he were
President. as he was when the wild-eyed lu-
natics of the caucus ran over him at the ex-
ira session. Very true there is that danger.
But what business has a party to exist, II the
entire body Of its voters has less claim to con-
tidence than one Of its members With what
reason does such a party thrust itself before
the country The only proper thing to do
with such a party is to beat it out of existence
forever In reality profound distrlst Of
the Democratic party does exist. 1t rules the
action of voters who hold the balance OF
mower. They might be willing TO trust Mr..
Bayard. if it we're not for the party of rebels
and regulators, jobbers, knaves and rufians,
who rush to the front whenever Democracy
seems likely to prevail, or has batch of
offices to parcel out.
Thus il was in respect to recent changes of
public opinion. The Democratic party seemed
in fair way to win, little more than year
ago. But its jobbers aud repudiators swarmed
in Washington its ravenous horde of place
hunters crowded manned soldiers from their
seats A; its ruffans Dragged of the power
gained by the bludgeon and the shotgun at
the South its knaves conspred to abolish or
to cripple the Federal election laws; and its
rebels cast off all disguise and showed that
they we're as dangerous, malignant and vim
dicrive as ever. and just as hostile to any
Union of equal rights and equal justice. The
consequence we have seen. A complete revo-
luton in public opinion has been effected by
one look at the Democratic party.
Does any Democrat fancy that this pro-
found distrust of his party extends only to
its leaders7 On the contrary, the plain people
of this country know full well that the Demo-
cratic party has many worthy men In its
array. The fatal difficulty is that its rank
and file cannot be trusted. From them come
the worst impulses which the most dangerous
leaders obey. Until the party has radically
changed its character-that is to say, until
the Democratic party has ceased to exist
that distrust will prove load too heavy even
for the most popular candidate to bear.