The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-11-18
A Party of ExpediencV.

A Party Of ExpedienCy.
From Jefferson to-let us say-Til-
den, it has been the boast of the Dem
ocratic party that principles Inspire
it and men can not mislead it. We
have in mind some principles which
have moved that organization within
the memory of the present genera
ton, and to one of these the State of
Massachusetts is indebted for the cleo
ton of General Benjamin F. Butler
to its gubernatOrial chair-a principle
never aYowed but steadily practiced
from the foundation of the party.
The Democratic party has always
been willing to enlist under any BAN
ner that promised success. No cam
didate could be too Objectionable, no
record too distasteful, so long as vic
tory was brought within its enrap-
tured sight. Not to go very far back g,
Horace Greeley is an example of the
application of this principle on "a
broad scale. He was the embodiment
of all that the Democratic party held
in detestation. He had spent life
time denouncing its doctrines, its
measures and its leaders. He was
able to meet them on the single
ground that they should vote for him
and he should accept their votes. He
had not been converted to their prin-
ciples nor they to his; but they were
content to take him as he Was if he
could be elected. They would have
taken any other man on the same
terms.
Animated by this same lofty i'm
pulse, in later day and In a single
State the Democracy falls at the feet
of man on whom it has exhausted
the abusive epithets of the language.
Democrats have denounced him as a
thief, a beast, murderer-and now
they take him in their arms and lift
him to the highest place III proud
commonwealth. Whatever was true
OF General Butler ten years ago is true
now. He is the same man, with the
same faults, the same virtues, except
that he has relapsed into the bad
company from which for time the
war cut him loose. Democrats have
not learned to respect him more.
They have made no recent discoveries
concerning his integrity or ability.
They only saw that he was available
for the moment. and for the sake of
policy they were glad to condone
every wrong with which they had
charged him.
Is it strange that Democrats of
weak stomach have gagged at so nause-
Gus a dose? For whether General
Butler was as black as he has been
painted it was the Democratic party
which did the painting, and there are
Democrats manly enough to rebel
when they are asked to say that the
picture is altogether lovely. But the
dissenting voices are not numerous
enough to drive General Butler ont
of the field into which he has been
taken back after twenty years of wan.
ing; and if it shall please that ac-
complished political acrobat to pre-
sent himself as a delegate in the
next national Democratic Convention
there will be more joy over him than
over the ninety-and-nine who never
went astray. And, further, if it shall
occur to him that a Democratic nomi-
nation for the Presidency would be a
good thing to have and to hold, there
is nothing in his record or in the rec
ord of the Democratic party to keep
him out of that dazzling honor.
1t is happily incident to party of
eXpediency that it is at all times pre-.
pared to do stroke of business with
out adding to the phenomenal things
OF life. And the Democratic party is
lust that kind of party WheeJ,nq
H1telLiQencer.