Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-07
A PARTY WITHOUT PRINCIPLES.

The platform of the recent Democratic
State Convention at Montpelier, aside from
the platitudcs and moro or less glticring
generaitics which always make up 50 many
of the planks in piece of carpentry oil the
kind, was principally devoted to abuse OF
the Republican party and its doings. so
profuse, indeed, are the Democrats in their
question naturally arises, what are the prin-
ciplcs of these gentlemen who 50 roundly
abuse their opponents! Dcmociatic
Representative in Congress, Mr.. Morrison OF
swcr to this identical conundrum, and the
result is not encouraging for the gentlemen
on his side OF the fence. He says that the
Democratic party is virtually hors de combat
from the fact that to-day it has no central
principle 50 generally and so firmly held that
II serves as "a bond of union and II rallying
point. lie says that "to ask the people
to merely try us instead of the Republicans
is utter nonsense. 1t is simply office seeking
on larger scale" Aud he urges that the
tax question, involving the whole matter of
tariff and internal revenue, be made the
central issue OF the parry. Let Democrats
agree to disagree on everything else, and 30
before the country on the single, simple issue
oil tax reform. Mr.. Morrison is by no means
alone in holding these views. Commenting
upon them the New York Star Democratlc)
says that lis party has lost that firm hold on
vital Democratic principles 1t once had, and
is charities and charterless, without defin-
tic policy, with nothing, in fact, to hold its
five millions of members together but great
it. The Star goes on TO say awe accept
the tact, discreditable though ii may SEEM
And when the Democrats go before the
country in an election and ask for power the
people put two questions Do you ask for
power because you have ADLER and better men
than the Republicans Doyo want power
because your principles are safer and more
benign? 1t is impossible to make the coun-
try believe that the men are better; and AS
for the principles, it does not know what
they are"
No leaders in whom the people have CON
fidence, no principles on which to so before
Democratic party by the confession of its
own members and surely never was po-
litical organization in more pitiable plight
Its denunciations of its opponents are simply
an attempt to cover up its own nakedness by
kicking up tremendous cloud of dust
Denunciation is neither argument nor
proof nor can party based simply
upon negation ever justify or COM
mand the confidence OF the people. AS
for Mr.. Morrison's idea of making an
issue, it is simply absurd You can not have
an issue which, like Topsy, has neither a
genesis nor a growth. Issues are not made
to order like pair of boots The Republi-
can party, for instance, did not cast around
and deliberately select the issue of slavery.
The issue was forced upon it, and it was
obliged to meet it. So of all the great is
sues through which parties have climbed to
power or fallen to depth beyond plummct's
sounding. For party leader to say 'Breth-
rem, we have no principles let us manufac-
ture few" is in the highest degree ridicu-
lous. The Democrats in Congress have had
ample opportunity, during the present ses-
sion to take up an issue on which they could
go before the country, but they did not i'm
prove it. AS one of their own papers says +
"They have done nothing distinctive, moth
ing to clearly define their political Status,
nothing credi,able on which they can go to
the country. We can recall no singe ques
ton on which they were united in opposi-
ton to the Republicans, TO which they can
point back with pride in the next Autumn as
AN evidence of superior craftsmanship, and
as an earnest Of what they will do in the fu-
ture if entrusted with power.
In saying, however, that the Democrats
have absolutely no principles, an injustice is
done them. They have at least one, and
that one was well expressed by prominent
Democrat at Montpelier who complained Of
the resolutions as being altogether too re-
dundant and who proposed to condense them
in this simple and sufficient declaration ::
"Resolved, THAI the Republicans are the ms
and we are the outs, and we want to be the
ms" The cohesive power of public plum
der" is the bond of union which keeps the
Democratic party together, and their courage
is refreshed and zeal animated by the glor-
Gus prospect Of the Federal offices in good
time coming. That such Iarty can gain
the confidence OF the people is not to be ex-
pected nor can 1t be expected that what
ever shibboeth it despairingly adopts can be
the "open sesame" to the capitol and the
White House.