Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-29
WHAT CONSTITUTES DEMOCRACY To-
DAY

|
ciples, for while those principles are them
selves changed from year to year, it is no
torious that they do not represent the
position of any considerable body of the
organization, and that they are fatty op
posed in many parts of the country. Nor
is it possible to allege that the national
platform represents the central policy of
the party, for it is plain that the Demo-
cratic leaders are not guided by 1t at all,
and it has recently been made manifest
that the Democratic candidate for the Pre-
sidency thinks it entirely unimportant to
maintain even a show of consistency with
it. The Cincinnati Convention declared
that it pledged the party to s. honest
" money" and &c the strict maintenance OF
&c the public faith, State and national, to-
gether with ga tariff for revenue only.
But the Democrats have seized every op-
portunity to fuse with the advocates of fiat
money and reputation of the national en-
gagements, ard this tendency has been en-
phasized by the general Democratic ratifi-
cation of the Greenback victory in Maine.
When General Hancock heard that a
Greenbacker had been elected Governor of
Maine, he sent him dispatch saying,
Accept my congratulations on the glori-
ious results of your campaign. 1t will
inspire our friends with confidence and
" strengthen them in the preliminary bat
g ties which remain to be fought else
''where and which need all of our forces.
What did General Hancock mean by this
| In it he identifies the Greenback with the
Democratic interests in the most direct
manner yet if the Democratic professions
were honest there could be no sympathy
between them and the Greenbackers.
There is no evading this consideration.
The course of General Hancock and his
party proves that neither he nor they are
honest and sincere. 1t proves that the
Cincinnati declarations have no signiti-
canoe that the Democracy never had any
intention of keeping its pledge in regard
to honest money; that that pledge was
given for no higher purpose than to cajole
the credulous; and that for the sake of
securing the Offices the party is to-day
ready to ally itself with regulators and
currency quacks of all kinds, utterly reckless
OF principle or honor or self-respect or the
interests of the country. The one leading
characteristic of the Democratic campaign,
in fact, is its shameless and audacious
dishonesty, and we are compelled to add
that General Hancock has shown himself
very plant and subservient abettor of
this abandonment of principle. His own
letter OF acceptance was phenomenal
example of claptrap and cant. His pre-
tense of veneration for the freedom of the
ballot was little short of an outrage. Per-
haps it is not surprising that candidate
who, relying almost wholly upon the sup
preston of free institutions for his success,
thus processes a special regard for the very
doctrines he is engaged in repudiating,
should display the same intellectual crook
edness in the financial issue but it is GER
tainly fresh reason for refusing to put
faith in him or his party.
Whoever will take the pains to examine
and compare Democratic utterances in
different parts of the country, will, how
ever, quickly reach the conclusion that the
party has no longer any cardinal principles
which it dare avow, and that it is ami
mattel by but one universal and harmo
NOUS desire, namely, the love of spoils.
Never before has the assumption OF virtue
aud consistency been so boldly discarded
by political organization as by the De-
mocracy in this campaign. 1t dares not
and does not advocate any one of the prin-
piles which it has put in its national plat
form. tits false to its professions On the !
currency. 1t is false to its professions on
the freedom Of the ballot. 1t is false to |
its professions on the tariff. 1t is false to |
its professions on the strict maintenance of /
the public faith. But it goes about with
its soul in its hand, Offering it to every
conner, and when it cannot make a
bargain it will even debase itself by
embracing those who spurn its ALI
ance. In Maine it secured no
concession from the Greenbackers, but it
abjectly abandoned all It's own principles,
and went and brought up the rear of their
fight, for the mean satisfaction of claiming
as Democratic victory what had nothing
Democratic about it. From Hancock down
to the last little crossroads politician this
Generalization is manifest They are all
ready to trade away their professed convic-
tions, to adopt the opposite views to those
they have called their own, to grovel in the
mire of regeneration, for the sake of the |
Offices They have struck hands with the
Southern Brigadiers, and have guaranteed
| 20 hand over the colored voters to the lat
ter, and to stand by and see Liberty out
ragged all through the South, in order that
their miserable greed of place may
be gratifed. They have ceased to have
auy belief of their own, and they
are no longer able to define their
position A Democrat to-day is simply a
man who opposes the Republicans, and
that is all there is OF him. He is not
identified with any well-settled doctrine,
for his party has surrendered or flung
overheard all its principles, one after the
other. He is mere office seeker, yearn-
ing for " change in the federal patron
age 1t is impossible to treat such party
with the respect that sincerity and earnest
ness OF belief are entitled to. 1t is only
possible to hold up its fragrant and I'M
blushing dishonesty to public scorn, aud to
ask sober.minded men if they think such
an organization cal be trusted to govern
the country. and to determine the import
ant issues which are awaiting settlement.
The IRISH AMERICANS AND THE TARIFF.
We are glad that the Irish-Amerioans Of
New York have made up their minds TO
vote the Republican ticket this fall, but
sorry that they have based their determi-
-.t;ov ,,,,o,, 4ba protactive nnlicv of tbe