New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-17
TILE MEANING OF 1T.

We notice an inclination In hunury Denio-
cratic newspapers to hug to their respective
tosoms the delusion that the result of the late
elections is to be interpreted as meaning that
tbe people have come to Iepose implicit conf
dence in the Democratic party. We dc not be-
leve that such an Interpretation Is borne out
| by the facts upon which was conditioned the
decision which the electors recorded at the
ballot box. Who can point to anything In the
| record which the Democracy has made III this
| state during this year that is calculated TO
| commend it to the favor of intelligent cltl-
zens7 Certainly Mr.. Cleveland was not given
majority of nearly 100000 because his party
| friends who controlled the last Legislature did
little or nothing during the first six weeks OF the
session except fight among themselves in re-
gard to the disposition Of quantity of petty
| spuils And if his success by an unprecedented
vote is not to be referred to general admiration
of the deadlock, neither does the failure of
a Democratic Senate and Assembly to pay any
attention to the vital subject of assessment and
taxation explain it. No, no. The truth is,
curious as it may seem to those who look only
at the surface Of things, that the Democrats
elected a Governor, Lieutenant-Go a
majority OF Congressman and Assemblymen
directly after Democratic administration in the
| legislative department of the State Govern
ment which was cOnspicuOusy and notoronsly
bad and weak. To believe that tho people de-
| light to honor proven incapacty, inhdellty and
recklessness is to believe that the commissions
they have just given to Mr. Cleveland and
his associates are so many Endorsements of the
career" of Democracy in this State.
The explanation of the Democratic rcstora-
ton il to be sought for on other grounds. Mr..
Cleveland goes into the Governors chair not
because Of but in the face of the stupid and dis
grace. u course pursued by the last Lrg stature.
The majority went to the polls this fall deter
mined to administer severe chastisement to
the Republican party, and they used the Demo
cratic party as the chastising rod. 1t was
time when party ties were not strong, when no
great issues were di riding the country, when
the cOntrasted tendencies of the two parties
were rot brought out. MT. Cleveland bad the
reputation of being much better man than his
party. He had done excelently as Mayor of
Buffalo. And so, although there was distruSt
of Democracy, there was trust III him. On the
other side were fraud, forgery, Federal
interference, and other fragrant exhibitions OF
bossism IN politics. The people readily
reached n decision. They made up their minds
that 1t would be a wholesome thing, patriotic
thing 10 overwhem the Saratoga ticket in a
defeat which should have the force of an
earthquake. Had they been inquired of as
they deposited their ballots whether they were
to be understood AS recalling any of the counts
in the Indictment which they had previously
found against the Democracy, they would
doubtless have answered in the negative. add
ing that their present purpose was to teach the
Republican party lesson which it would not
be likely to forget and hich it badly needed
to learn and that so far as the current political
situation was concerned Democracy was to be
adiudged the lesser of two evils.
If we are correct in our reading of the popu-
lar verdict, then two things follow First,
the Democrats have no good reason for beng
excessively eated second, the Republicans
have no good reason for being excessively de-
spondent. The former are the inns" but they
are ainsr on suiierance-a fact that Suggests
humility. The latter are the -outs," but they
are souts" on probation-a fact that suggests
hope.