New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-26

day to day and may be always in dispute
He must hold his seat all the term be always
alert, active, vigilant and ne must he obedl-
ent to the whims and caprices of the repre-
sentativcs of a party that has really no prin-
ciples whatever, and whose whole policy is
directed only to carrying elections and secur-
ing the Offices. 1t is by no means an easy
place to fill, and the honor it brings is very
Inadequate to the burdens and responsibilities
it involves.
notwithstanding these drawbacks, there VIII
no doubt he two or three aspirants for the
position. Naturally and logically it falls to
Mr.. Randall, who has heretofore been rccog-
nized as the leader of his party when it was
in the minority and who, having been Speaker
of the last House. will he the candidate Of the
minority in this, which ought of itself to be
conclusive as to the question of leadership.
But a man may be the recognized and ttular
leader of a party on the floor OF Congress
without having party behind him willing to
follow in all things 1t has been remarked
that the party has no principles. We may
perhaps qualify it by saying that a consider
able portion of the party seems to be engaged
in desperate effort to give it one A large
number of respectable Democrats in various
parts of the country are sincere believers in
the doctrine Of Free Trade. They say, and say
truly, that it is a traditional dogma of the
Democracy, and that to abandon it now would
be to give up the very last distinctive princ-
pie upon which it was organized and for
which it has been so many years fighting. They
insist that the party plant itself boldly upon
a platform of Free Trade, and prepare to make
IL. 1, I l. haiti
II so happens that Mr.. Randall is not in
sympathy with this portion of the party, nor
believer in their ideas. He is the typical
Pennsylvania Democrat; that is, while he
docs not oppose Free Trade platforms, he adj
yocatcs Protective legislation. And there is
reason To believe that the genuine Free Trade
Democrats will not acquicscc in such leader
ship without earnest and persistent protest. 1t
is said in Mr.. Rludall's behalf that his leader
ship of the party hitherto has been marked by
uncommon ShrcwdncSs and sagaCity, and that
the party has gained thcrcfrom pretty much
all the capital it has been trading on for the
past five or six years. Great stress is laid upon
the measures Of economy and Tetrcnchment
that either originated With him or were pushed
through by his energetic efforts, by which it Is
claimed that millions were saved to 'hc Treas
,t ~ -
III! III TIE amman 'HI'''"''u'' u ,n' O',,
mcht' II Is c'''hc' '''a. tue 'r''' ~, '"'"i
belongs 'h''"' 10 MN, "''' II y W." N"""
thal '"e parry ""'!c t'' nus W ',y '.l,''''
u'II'ea IRON" 'l'I, III .''' last WV =,
hai 'aNp''S"' MS menus "'' ',,'"'',"' 'Il''
WIN INN 'S ,''"Eh|'' ,'1''' Oh '.' N'"'' ,''
parry can max It I'toi'' "'n' !" '"'"'' ''l
great "r"l o' Po.''Ic'' ''P,'" III '"c i"''u''
In,| conveniently forget '"'' me ",'N''y "S
when me appropriations were Gut """" one
year ana increased ~ or"'''"'S p,"7 '"'
next has Deem 'APn,'n "'" '""""' "' SUE
ccN'luiIy repeated moreover III, ''t"'S' '''
lr"H'iS 90 H"' n'"cNc b." "''P,'"7 '''''
temporary n'N''''i'7 '"' P'>'"'
Ihry INSIST upon putting '"' ''"l"'I'' 'H'u'
OF Free Trade vs. ft"I'cu"h 10 the Ii'h' III
TINS Congress ana t"u''.'pE ."c P'"P,' mP""