New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-18
WHY NOTA LlI'E DEMOCRATf

WHY NOT A LIVE DENOCRhII
The Democratic party seems t. have the
same estimation of itself that Byron had of
certain aristOcrat,c families of England, who,
he said, rescmblcd the pOtatO-!hc best part of
them was underground. The living and active
Democratic statesmen of the present day do not
find favor in the eyes Of the Democratic party
when 1t is searching for candidate to Tcc0in-
mend it to.the sufirages of voters. At such n
time, 1t always seeks for q Democrat who has
little or nothing to do with politics of the
present, or one who has been politically dead
so long that voters may be supposed to have for
gotten all about him. This is a curious trait.
lie was not a great friend of the red men who
SAID "The only good Indian is a dead Indian"
But 1t appears to be the fixed opinion of the
Democratic party that the only good Democrat
is a dead Democrat.
Not TO mention the Candidature Of Mr..
Tilden, whose vitality is O matter of dis
pute in Democratic journals. We IL We tie
attempted elimination of HOratlo Seymour,
as an instance of the anxiety of the
party to get behind itself Politically, Mr..
Seymour was not very much alive when lie
was nominated in 1868 and has been dead
ever since his defeat i'll that year. But now.
| as if it were not enough to go back twelve
years fol- a candidate, this beaten party proposes
to take up General Mcclellan, who was defeated
in 1864, and present him to the country as the
exemplar and leader of Democracy in 1880.
| Mcclellan carried three States in 1SG4-Ncw-
Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky. He would
probably carry Delaware and Kentucky now,
besides the Solid South, then engaged in wear
ing gray uniforms aud trying to shoot Union
soldiers If the Democrats think he could
carry any Northern State they can try the ex-
pertinent.
Time was that when man had been buried
sixteen years nobody would think of rrsuscitat-
ing him. But the significant thing at this time
Is not the disturbance of ancient and venerable
shrines. The country would like to know why
the Democracy of to-day has no live Democrat
of to day to offer as its standard bearer. If the
Democratic party IL fit to be trusted with
power some of its leaders who now WELD What
power 1t has are fit to be trusted. Discard
them all, and take a fossil, and the country will
with reason conclude that the Democratic party
is ashamed of itself, and wants to get power
by putting on mask Why should Mr.. Ran
dali, of Pennsylvania, or Mr.. Wallace, be set
aside for a man nOminally from Pennsylvania,
experience only as a GeneIal7 Why should
Payne or Thurman be named in Ohio before
Ewing and Mcmahon, who actually lead the
party there to-day3 Why should the late Mr.
Hendricks be disturbed in his rest when Mr.
Voorhees, is at the front, still drclaiIning loudly
whenever Democracy needs n speech in the
Senate9 If the Democracy of this day wants TO
carry NewYOrk, why should it 20 back to
IIoratio Seymour. and get behind the DemOc-
racy Of 1862 The country thought that Dem
Ocracy was quite bad enough in the old days !;
are we to infer that The Democracy of to-day is
still wOrse7
Why not take Mr.. Randall, for example
He represents and to some extent rules and
leads the Democratic party of to-day. AS that
is the party to which power is to be intrusted,
il Democracy succeeds at all, there is a manifest
fitness in proposing one of its active and potent
leaders. Perhaps he is not popular his party is
net nor are the methods which he uses, or the
measures which he favOrs. The country has
an opinion of that sham economy which skins
half-paid and hard rking officials and stops
ncedful and worthy public works, and dis
graccs the country abroad, while il votes millions
without debate for river AMI haIbOr improve
ment. or new public buildings, and squdnders
enormous sums III fruitless and dishonest parti-
san Investigations. Mr.. Randalrs nomination
would give the country chance to express its
opinion about sham economy, and also about
sham tariff reform. BY all means Civ MS Dem
Ocrat who really leads and represents the
Democratic party of tO-day-if an honest vor-
dict on that party is wanted.