New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-17
/ GR1VEYIRD PIRTY.

Have there been 10 Democratic heroes since
Lndrew JacksOnl Has the Democratic party
done nothing since his time of which 1t can he
proud These cenundrrIms are suggested by
the letters and speeches called out by the CHI
cagO banquet, careful peruSal OF which I'M
pels an answer to both in the negative No
one of the speakers or writers referred to
Democratic statesman who has lived since
Jackson. and jackson has been dead thirty
seven years. Why go so far back for inspira-
toni There are Polk, Van Buren,, Pierce
and Fundamentally not make casual
allusiOn to them, or hold an occasional
bonGuet on some of their birthdays? They
have not been dead so long as Jackson has,
but they are in many senses more dead than
he will ever be. Buchanan as the last Demo-
cratic President deserves recognition OF some
kind. lie represented his party at its highest
state of development. He is Il better and
truer representative of it to-day than Jackson
is. Jackson grappled with problems which
were settled forever years ago. Buchanan
wrestled with some which were much nearer
our own time, and we all know what mess
he made of them. He showed us
what modern Democratic statesman
was capable of when trusted with power,
and his memory is therefore much more elO-
quent with warning for the present generation
than that of jackson. If a dead Democratic
statesman is the only true Democratic guide,
therefore, we insist that Buchal II is the prop
er one to be selected.
But why take dead statesman The party,
as we understand it, claims to be living. 1t
has many statesmen still living, some of whom
have run for the Presidency. There are
Seymour, Mcclellan, Tilden and Hancock.
Why not make some reference to them and
their deeds of glory7 No one OF them has
ever been President, but three OF them
have been Governors and one OF them
enjoys the distinction of being his party's
original and only Reformer. He helped de-
molsh the Tammany Ring, and he made
great show of reforming the Canal Ring. or
course these were both Democratic institutions,
and in lighting them he was fighting his own
party, but that only increases the heroism of
the act. Then there are his memorable ex-
ploits in the campaign of 1876. Surely
his party has not forgotten those. That
is the greatest reform movement III
political history. He seems to have re-
ferred to it III his letter to the Chicago gath
ering when he spoke of the necessity OF re-
forming the Government " from the inside and
by the active and Intelligent agency OF the
Executive" The trouble with the agency"
in the fall of 1876 was that while it was dia
b0lically "activer it was not intelligent,
II bungled the "rcfOrm" which was planned
Oh the inside of No. Is Gramercy Park so
badly that the Presidency was lost even after
the price for it had been agreed upon. We
are glad to see that Mr.. Tilden is determined
that hereafter his reform movements shall
be intelligent. Yet, although it was lost
by bad management, this reform crusade was
and - the most conspicuous fact in modern
Democratic history, and we are surprised that
the only allusion made to it at the Chicago
was In Mr.. Tilden's letter. Perhaps
after he is dead the party will give il due
recognition by holding banquets annually on
his birthday. But Mr.. Tiden is not the
only living Democratic statesman who has
performed acts worthy of cOmmcmOration.
There il General IlancOck's discovery OF
the fact that "taIiF is merely local is
sue, and one with which the Government
seldom cares to interfere" Why not hold a
banquet on the anniversary of that discovery
The party is sorely perpleXed with tho tariff
question, but here is relief. Then there is the
Morey letter forgery the anniversary of that
might be kept. To 80 little further back, /