New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-24
DEMOCRATIC DISCORDS.

The Democrats were allowed three weeks III
which to find out that they had made biunuer
They have found it out, and are pitlfuiiy oe-
sceching each other to get up ana 90 some
thing at once The prospect of post Offices, Gus
om-houses and clerkships is growing am.
The Regulators in Virginia have failed to ac-
cent the Democratic electoral ticket, and
anxious Democratic journals say that, II the
thing is not fixed speedily, the State will be
lost. The Democrats of Indiana have failed to
CARY out the private bargain to indoIse DE La
Matyr as their candidate fol Congress, and the
Greenback people theIeupon swear that they
will be fooled no longer, and proceed TO noml-
nate candidates of Their own for otheI Con
gressional Districts. A leading Democratic
journal discovers that this wIaugle also, II II
cannot be stopped, will cost the party the vote
of the State.
To the Democratic eye, these seem to be local
and sporadic difficulties. "That foolish
@wrangle in New-York, or Virginia, or Indiana"
they say, must be smoothed over soon" But
the observant and philOsOphic outsider has some
doubt whether the trouble is not more serious
and lasting than Democrats suppose. 1he dis-
tingnishing feature of this campaign Is an at
tempt TO weld together into one compact and
homogeneous mass, the most aDtagonistic
materials that can be conceivedj the Union
soldier of Gettysburg and the Confederate sol
der who shot at him; the colored Democratic
VOTER and the Democrats who opposed cOlOred
suffrage, the great Democratic bondholders
and bankers and the men who hate DondhOlders
and bankers, the distiD guished Democratic
cantalists who are the chief creditors of Vr-
ii t10 mil IN
clan who is trying to repudiate their claims !;
the conservative managers OF railroad. lnsur-
ance. and other corporations, and the reckless
communists who believe in wlping out such
corporations utterly and merciessly. The diff
entities attending so extraordinary an effort. 1t
must be admitted, are not unlikely to be gen
oval lasting. and serious. And the antagOnsms
of political rivalry appear to be not less
serious
Here is a set of Democratic politicians for ex-
annie. who care not one baubee for any prln-
chile under the sun, for any platforms OF
pledges, or for anything else except plumber
They wart offices and Jobs. Part Of them feel
that they will have all the cream If Hancock
sbould be elected and will leave to the others
nothing but skim-milk. The thought gals the
other persons, not unnaturally. If they cared
for Democratic principles, they could stand
finn and fight zealouslyj but they would fifty
times rather see an Indifferent Republican than
hostile Democrat dispensing the offices. How
Is that difficulty to be nett The tronble Is rad
ical and irremediable. 1t lies In the fact that
the workers of the party care nothing fol prln-
clples and everything for spoils Every body
knows that is the truth. The dffculty may be
healed over fifty times, but 1t will break out
AGAIN In most unexpected ways and with most
disastrous results If Tilden and his friends
are going to have the ear of General Hancock,
John Kelly and his friends are not going to
have Hancock elected, and vice tersa. What
patching or poulticing can get rid OF that sore
Again, here are politicians whose sole claim to
any place IN public life is that they have ad-
vacated reputation, State or National. Ii that
issue goes down, they drop out OF sight into OBJ
liyion and infamy. They have spent years in
educating Democratic voters to sustain them,
and they know that any backing down on their
mart would mean political extinction On the
other hand. here are the men of fat purses who
contribute to tho manifold expenses of Demo
cratic campaigns mule buying included. They
have bonds or are bankers, or have heavy claims
know whether they are giving money to insure
their own robbery. Perhaps they may push
categorical questions and insist upon SPECIFIC
hedges. Perhaps they may sulk, like Achilles IN
his tent, unless the fight is conducted to
their satisfaction. But what Is going to be
done about it7 Tie active workers and noisy
politicians are not going to help any arrange
ment to cut their own threats. The cOnserva-
tive capitalists are not going to help any ar
rangement to empty their own pockets.
The trouble is not accidental, local, or tenn
porary 1t results from the very nature OF the
antagonistic elements which 1t is the aim Of
this great swindle called Democracy to bring
together They will fight at the polls; he SURF
of it. The certain thing is that the so-callet
Democratic elements will not all fight on thu
same side.