New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-23
RECONSTRUCTING TIE PARTY.

rubbish heap or a sewer may coDtlln not
few odds and ends that are valuable. But
any attempt to construct comfortable dwell
ing-house, or any other useful building, out OF
the debris Of a sewer or the materials of a
lubblsb-heap, is sure TO fail Those who talk
of remodelling the Democratic party are en-
gagged in such an experiment That party has
been the rubbish-heap of the country for
twenty years. Into its composition have gone
all the waste stuff that no other party could
use. Upon 1t have been cast all the trash and
| all the used-up remnants that any other party
has been obliged to get rid OF. For twenty
wears that party has been the political sewer
of this country, into which all the filth has
descended by all sorts of channels and
the frightful outburst of SANDER, blackguard-
ism, forgery and perjury which the last SIX
months has witnessed has been merely the re-
suIt of a breakage of the sewer.
What can anybody hope to do with the
heterogeneous materials which have gone to
form the Democratic party as it is now! No
common ideas can be found NJ motives in
common, except desire for Office.
In the discussion which is now going on
between Democratic papers, as to the best
mode of reconstructing the party, this fact
has become painfully apparent WattersOn
sends out from Louisville his new war-cTy
but it's first note Is "F Free Trade" Instantly
other influential Democratic journalists pro-
test, and tell him that any serious attempt to
nail such plank into the Democratic platform
would split not only the plank and the PLATFORM
but the party. He is reminded that the de-
feat of General Hancock was largely due to the
pfn its
natl platform, and the consequent abandon
ment of the party by thousands of voters as
the close of the contest drew near. Another
programme-maker thinks that free trade will
not do, but that free ships are essential
Whereupon Delaware halls him with indigna-
ton, and wants to know if the Republican
gain in Wilmington at the recent election was
not enough
With the money question it is even worse.
Dangerous as the experiment was. the party
felt compelled to go into the Presidential con-
test with hard-mOney professions, knowing
that there would be not a ghost of a chance
for IL otherwise in York, New-Jersey or
Connecticut. But that leaning toward the
right cost the party the support OF Greenback
voters in Indiana, in spite of the nomination
of Mr.. Landers, and probably affected the re-
suit in many other States. very large pro-
portion OF the Democratic voters will resist
with intense hostility the financial ideas which
it falsely protested in order to hold necessary
Eastern votes. What can party hope to do
that is compelled to stake its very existence
on an attempt to make oil and water mix
Of late, having no chance to control the
distribution Of Offices itself, the Democratic
marty has manifested considerable access of
zeal for Civil Service reform. But after the
Maine election. when it was believed by
Democrats that they were going TO divide
the Offices among themselves, there was
found not one in the country who insisted
unop a non-partisan Civil Service. In fact,
the Democrats have never shown any other
opinion on that subject than this (: that their