New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-21
LILLE REL PfRTY ISSTE.

THE REAL PARTY ISSUE.
In it's search for IAN issuen or rather, for a
reason to excuse Its own continued existence,
the Democratic party finds great difficulties.
New issues, unsettled questions, or questions
which somebody hopes are still unsettled, may
be found 10y the score. But none OF them fit
Democratic capabilities and necessities. The
party cannot hope to gain anything, so long
as it continues to exist at all, by any course
which will drive off an important part of Its
present adherents. The reason is that the Re
publican party will not go to pieces, nor will
any considerable POI ton OF its voters separate
from it, so long as the Democratic party con-
tinues in existence, perpetual menace, as 1t Is
and necessarily must be, to loyal men and free
government. Unable to gain anything from
that quarter to compensate for the loss OF
votes which a new course would involve, the
Democratic party is forced to remain In ITS
false and fatal position as a mere aggregation
of negatives, block in the way of everything,
brake on the car of progress, blind and
muish resistance TO every good work or
healthy effort. That any party should grow,
holding such a position, in this country, is
out of the question. The most that 1t can do
is to keep up resistance, make a continual
fuss, and get beaten in every serious contest.
The Democratic party does not represent
the majority in this country, either in popular
votes, in electoral votes, in brains or in in
fuence 1t succeeds in polling nearly as
many votes as the Republican party only by
fraudulent suppression of about 100000
votes at the South and by fraudulent counting
of the votes that are cast 1t succeeds in carry
ing only three small Northern States, by in
significant pluralities, and by means OF an IN
famous forgery. II has not a member OF
ordinary intelligence who does not continually
bewail the astonishing lack of brains that
characterlzes Democratic management. 1t
has contrived to array against itself, in un-
yielding and uncompromislng hostility, most
powerful combinations of capital throughout
the land, and leagues and unions of working
men numbering their voters by the hundred
thousand. And yet it wants to live.
1t appears that at Washington tho opinion
still prevails, in some quarters, that the Demo
cratic party may ultimately" succeed because
it can keep the South solid, and viii need little
other strength. The South, 1t is SAID, is grow
irg faster than the North, because the colOred
race in a state of freedom increases faster than
the white race, and interesting figures from
the recent census are given to establish that
assertion. When We ask what is to keep the
South solid, we are told, the desire for de-
Capitalization" Nowhere else in this country
it might almost be said, nowhere else on this
earth--is political power so centralized as at
the South. Yet the voters OF that section are
suppos d to be passiOnately opposed to GEN.
tralizatiOn of power. In plain truth, the South
Is united in nothing except hostility to the
Constitution of the United States it is, in its
true intent and meaning, and to the laws
made in pursuance thereof. What is called
desire for decentralization is simply dis
loyalty. 1t is a desire to cripple the United
States Government and break down It's
power, so that It's authority can be resisted
with impunity. What the South really wants,
and the only thing thus far for which it is
solid, is to get the power of the United States
into such hands, or so emasculated that it
shall be utterly unable to protect any of its
citizens in demanding equal rights, free cleo
tons, or fair count
Whether the South will remain solid for such
an object remains To be seen. Some OF its
leading men know that a more suicidal course
cannot be proposed. They sec that the North
perfectly appreciates the real and only reason
for Southern solidity, knows that the intent ia
hostile TO the Constitution and the laws, and
realizes that, if the SOnth remains solid at all,
il does so because it remains disloyal. Hence,
so long as there is Solid South there will be
Solid North to resist ard Overpower it, TO up
hold the spirit and intent OF the Constitution,
and to enforce the laws. Against this barrier
the angry waves of Southern resistance will
break in vain. When the South gets tired OF
being beaten, and hungry for material pros
perity, it will cease to be solid. How long
hence that will be- Southern men must decide
for themselves.
Mean while, the real issue between the two
parties does not need to be searched for, cannot
be manufactured, and will not be hidden. The
Republican party means to have enforcement
of the laws and loyalty to the Constitution ;
equal rights, free ballot, and fair count for
all. The Democratic party Iesists, refuses to
obey the laws, is disloyal to the Constitution,
and wants the Government SO decentralized"
that any rascally judge of elections in Alabama,
or any brutal me b in Louisiana, can set it at
defiance with impunity.
IS 1T WORTH WHILEf