New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-22
SrlLL prRGLYG rHE PARrr.


We observe with pleasure that The World
newspaper, while holding firmly to its cx-
dressed purpose to purify the Democratic Party
by theexpulsion of majority ofits members and
nearly all its Senators and Representatives
in Congress, on account OF their unSoundncSs
upon financial questions, does not propose to
carry out its determination IN cruel or re-
Ientless spirit Ii grants benefit of clergy to
ALL and we presume that all who stand the
test of its catechism will Ice forgiven and per
mitted to remain in the fold to enjoy the So
cjetv Of the select few who will constitute
the parry. Senator Beck, OF Kentucky,
who is generally in the enjoyment OF
rs large and varied an assortment of views
on financial questions a. one any head can well
CORY, is inst now IN process of being cate
chised with regard to the Constitution of the
United States, the traditions of Democracy,
and the disposition OF the people oi Ken
lucky. 1t began the inquiry few days ago
with some admitted historical facts upon
which il based conuudiums of the most con-
fusing and exasperating description, as, for
instance. How can that be constitutional in
"1S8O which was unconstitutional in 1850 y
and so on. They were short, sharp and deci-
siye, snapped rs they went OIL and were
hurled with such rapidIty aS to battle the in
tcllcctual processes Of even n Kentucky states
man. And though the Senator might after
such a catecbism repeat with feeling and with
truth the couplct,
Earth doss against my soul engage,
And hcry darts buried
he could by 40 means say with the poet IN
the succeeding lines,
Yet lean smile at satan'srag
And face irowuing world.
we do not know how the eminent Senator
answcIed-if he did answcr-Or how he could
answer, such soul-stirring conundrums a. this
for instance: " How can that be Democratic
"in 1880 which was anti Democratic in 1869 p
| unless, indeCd-lke the bclated person lean
ing against lamp-post. who being asked why he
was there responded, "lIic, 'cos | amE-he
should economic argument in the answer
Zoos It's" But our contemporary returns to
the charge, and in its issue of Wednesday
asks more questions OF the same general char
acter What it seems to he striving to get
out of the Senator is some Trustworthy
| information as TO the financial views
which the Senator and IFS Kentucky
constituents believed themselves to Doe holding
when they last heard from themselves. And
! THE World tries to start its pumps-which so
! far only suck sand-in the usual way, by
pouring something in. After pouring into
| tho unfortunate Beck considerable infor-
| nation about the Constitution, it whacks
its pump-handle suddenly down with this
Interrogation If kentucky Democrats will
mot obey the Constitution in this day of our
National prosperity, what will they do when
ga day of our National adversely cometh n
| Now, il IL none of our business TO be
| sure, to be answering these cOnundnlms
which seem to be prOpounded simply
in the way of discipline, but this
is such an easy one that we venture to re-
mark that the record of Kentucky in 1861
answers it out of hand. What the Kentucky
Democrats do "when the day of our Ma
tiopal adversely comcth" is, pretend to be
neutral and fight on the other side Ask
| him harder one.
The World, however, deserves encourage
ment in its great work Of purifying the party
and purging it of financial heresies and here
| ties. 1t is not to be denied that it is q
| great enterprise though, practically. we con-
TESS we can see no very important result to
come from it, Something Will be gained though
to the cause of Retrenchment and Economy
when q man can ask the whole party to take
drink at a cost of dollar and a half
/