Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-11
Short of Capital.
New York Times.l


racy made tour years ago and compare it
with the langu1d and non-committal char
acter of the proceedings of the party at
the present time, will discover a strik ing
and significant contrast. Several Stale
conventions have been held recently, and
there are more to come, but thus lar they
seem to have been pervaded by depress-
ing consciousness of a lack of working
capital They commend the nominations
OF the N atlOnal Convention as a matter OF
course, and they accept and "reaffirm" its
platform without troubling themselves
with specifications, Beyond that ii is ex
tremely difficult tor them to find anything
to say While not fully realizing that III
their choice of candidate they have gone
back to 1868, they are depressed and EN-
barrassed by the fact that it represents no
living question and affords them no
ground on which to make fight.
In 1876 the National and State plat.
forms bristled with declarations about re.
form in administration. They made
much of charges and scandals, real and
assumed, in regard to the conduct of Ma
tlonal affairs. There had been, so they
claimed, corruption and extravaganza il
the public service, and they demanded
honesty and economy in the loudest Of
tones. The civil service had become de-
graded, and they called for a return t,
what they preposterously termed the
Democratic test of fitness, capacity ana
integrity in public office They charged
that the officers of the Government were
EN- ployed to promote the interests of a
political party, and declared that civil
service reform was the imperative need OF
the hour. We were then in the midst of
financial depression, and they fairly rev.
eled in the misery OF the country, which
they attributed to INSTRUMENTATION, ex-
trgyagance and financial mismanagement.
The condition OF the country was painted
In the gloomiest coiOrs and explained as
q consequence of what the Republican
party had done and failed to do. II is
quite refreshing to go over these old plat
forms and note their vigorous denuncia.
tons, their positive declarations and their
glowing promises. They were, indeed,
somewhat vague and various in their ut
terances regarding the currency, but there
was substantial agreement tia the Re-
publican party had produced disaster by
abandoning the specie basis and intensl
fed it by endeavoring to get back. Re-
SUMPTION must be effected, but the Re-
sumption act was an obstruction and
must be repealed.
The Democracy then had surplus of
political capital. Abuses and corruptions,
real and alleged, were excellent stock 10
work upon. Industrial depression was
good for thousands of votes, and general
dissatisfaction and dlscontent afforded q
basis for promising calculations, not with
out plausibility. Reform and retrench-
ment was the cry, and return to the
craftsmanship OF the better days OF the
Republic. The cry was borrowed from
dlssatified Republicans and avoWed indie
pendents, but it was none the less ettec
tive. Then, too, the Democracy had
candidate whose name meant something
in connection with reform a0d old-tlme
craftsmanship. There was the further ad
vantage of no record or responsibility tor
the party in the Immediate past, which
was fresh in the public mind, and It's
promises were entertained with nope, II
not with confidence. Now all this is
changed. The present ADMINISTRATOR mas
furnished no scandals for the Democrats
to make capital OF. Ii it has not been al
together vigorous, it has bt en- on the whole
clean and respectable. The bold predic.
tons of the effects of the Resumption act
have been belied, and the revival of pros
perity under Republican rule has shown
the absuruity OF the charges against It's
financial management. The capital af-
torded by the period of depression is
gone beyond recovery. Civil service re-
form has lost its interest for the Demo-
cratic mind. Retrenchment and economy
are no longer words to coDjure with, anu
to pirate of restoration OF craftsmanship
Gen. Hancock for candidate would be
ludlcrous. Worse than all, the party has
been making record. For two years it
has had control OF Congress, and very
bad use it has made of its opportunities.
Its promises no longer excite Lope, TO say
nothing of confidence, and, moreover, the
country does not feel the need OF them.
1t Is sad plight for great political
party just entering upon an important ma
tional campaign. Il has no political cap
ital to work with; no scandal to deplore,
no abuses to denounce, No popular dis
content TO work upon, no reform 10 prom.
Use, no reason to plead for change, and
no way OF making people believe til II it
should be trusted with the responsibility
of government. How can it make an ag-
g1essive canvass? 1t has Msj General
TO offer for which the country mas no use
In the highest civil position, where q
statesman's peaceful work is to be done.
It goes back to 1868, for solitary issue,
WAICu AdO uOAC VI 4CSS III
connection with the reconstruction Of the
rebel States. But reconstruction was done
with long ago, and this poor little issue,
on the wrong side of which it stood in its
brief lifetime, is now dead beyond the
power of galvanism to give it semblance
OF vitality. The subordination OF the
military to the civil power Is not ques-
ton now. The Democratic party comes
into court without q case, aud all that It
can find to say tor itself consists of lndis-
criminate abuse of the other side.
Artemus Wards Audience of Five.
artr