National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-02-24
Mr.. Blaine and the Democratic Party.

FoRDs orrRA-H -HousE--" Two Nights In Rome"
LINCOLN HALL-LCcture.
Mr.. Blaine and the Democratic Party.
Our morning Democratic contemporary
finds in the Chicago Herald an editorial
ironically defending the right of Mr..
Blaine to join in the formation of n new
party, and makes it the text for an arti-
Gle, which declares the disbandment of
The Democratic party inevitable, and ar
CUES that in any recasting of party lines
it must be the basis" OF course in this
recasting" the Posts favorite statesman
is to be the leader. Indeed, Maine is
named first in order in sS.ginS
the localities from. switch new
recruits are 10 be welcomed
who will in the new party assist in the
assertion of these fundamental ideas of
government" This makes it important
to inquire what these ideas are. Our
somewhat ambiguous Democratic friend
after first showing that each party is
divided on all the questions of the day,
proceeds to remark that on all these
questions the principles of the Demo-
cratic party are the correct ones, if only
asserted with clearness and carried out
with positiveness." AS that poor vaga-
bond old party is admitted by
its organ to be astraddle of all ques-
tions, we find it hard to discover
which side of each or either it would
have thus asserted with clearness or car.
ried out with positiveness All we can
find by diligent search through the Posts
column article is that the Democratic
party is willing to be the basis for re-
casting of party lines, and that as many
Republican flies as desire can walk into
the parlor of the Democratic spider.
The Post has been setting up for n spider
on its own hook, and has been fondly
imagining Mr.. Blaine to be fly doomed
to the entanglements of the prettiest
little parlor that ever he did spy. The
public has been looking on 10 see which
was the spider and which the fly. The
Post seems to us to be getting away from
home, and if Mr.. Blaine shall finally sue
ceed in landing it into the Republican
camp The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN will have
TO applaud the exploit.
The Bourbon demand for Mr.. Blaine's
leadership has not been publicly re-
sponded TO by that gentleman, and it
may be that when they think they have
secured it, as they hoped they had in
1875, they will find, as they did in 1876,
that he is "a Stalwart of the Stalwarts."
The Bourbon caresses of Mr.. Blaine may
indicate more infatuation on their part
than on his albeit we confess that we
would like to see him less gracious to-
ward them. They claim that he aided
them last spring in holding their forces
together in the Senate during the dead
lock, and that he looked with disfavor
upon and worked against the Union
Coalition in Virginia. He is exalted
in the Bourbon press, and all
through the Democratic lines in the
South the word is being passed that he
may be the man to lead a counterrevol
ton to the one inaugurated under the
leadership of General Malone. Here in
Washington this is openly advocated by
an experienced and able Democratic
journalist, and it is an open secret that by
reason thereof the wing of the friendship
which exists between the statesman and
the editor moults no feather. While
these appearances perplex and serve to
prepare the public mind for almost any
new and strange performance by Mr..
Blaine, we shall all be ready to shout
our loudest applause if on the eve of the
presidential battle we find that he is
making the strange political gods with
which he is now associating follow him
up to the Republican altar.
But if Mr.. Blaines personal organ is
correct in assuming that a new party is
to be formed, and if there really is to be
a coalition between implacable Bour'
bonism and thick-and-thin. Blaineism il is
we'll TO consider what points Of agreement
there can be between the two, or, rather,
what the recruits would have 10 submit
10. The fundamental idea of Bourbon
Democracy is TO rule. All agreements made
with them must be on the basis of "heads
win and tails you lose" They have
no more regard for the will of the ma
jority when that majority is against them
than Germany has for French opinion
in Alsace and Lorraine. They are
as much opposed to repub'
lican form Of government where they
are in the minority as Russia is opposed
to restoration Of the nationality oi
Poland. They hate the Government oi
the United States as the Irish LeaguerI
hate England, and their hatred can only
be overcome by surrendering the gov
ernment into their hands. Let any who
think they can be faithful to an alliance
remember their treatment of Stephen A
Douglas. They trampled upon majorit!
rule within their own party in order 10 de
feat him. This was not because Of any
substantial difference Of opinion, but be
cause they were incapable Of obediencet
the compact by which parties exist. The
led the South into rebellion because the.