New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-23

NEJTHER DISCREET. NOR PHILOSOPHTC.
1t is said that "age brings The phosophic
mind" 1t may he the rue-with some cxccp-
tOns-amoug men, but it seems not to apply 10
political parties. Here now is tie Democratic
party with nothing to boast OF excepting its
age. the oldest political organization in the
country. But the pen OF the historian, pausing
over the past twenty years Of its Improbable
career, will have tn write Ol 1t at last that lis
chief characteristics during this period were
its absolute incapacity TO learn TO be discreet
in prosperity or phiiosophic in defeat. It's lack
OF discretion under the smiles Of fortune we
saw through the Congressional sessions in which
it was endowed with partial power. Its wild
antics excited such universal disgust that the
people made haste to turn it out and put Re
publican majority in its place. Its lack of
philosophy in defeat has been shown scores of
times since its grand exhibition in 1861 when
in it's impotence and anger it broke out III re-
bellion and set civil war afoot.
Ii is OH the point Of making another one of
these characteristic exhibitions of itself in a
factious and obstructive opposition to action on
the contested election eases in the House. No
reasonable person doubts the power or the right
of the majority to decide as to the qualifications
of members. No just or fair-muded man will
question the duty OF the House to settle at the
earliest practicable moment all questions relat-
ing TO the rights of members to their seats.
And we believe that no impartial person who is
at all cOnVcrsant with the facts, rs attesed by
good and sufficient evidence, III the pending
South Carolina case of Mackey against Dibble,
doubts that Mr.. Macl,ey was fairly elected and
is entitled 10 the seat now occupied by DIbble.
But the Democrats IN Congress have bound
themselves by party vote in caucus TO resist to
the last extremity OF parliamentary tactics
every effort to bring the House to Il vote upon
the question. What is this but revolutionary
resistance TO the operation OF the fundamental
principle Oh which the Government rests--the
rule OF tho majority What but the same
angry Impotence that expressed itself in 1861
in n resort to arms and All attempted revolution
simply because the popular verdict was against
them
There is of course nothing to be gained by
this sort Of behavior. The Democrats are in a
minority in the House already their case will
not be altered by the retention or the unseating
of tho South Carolina members who hold their
seats by fraud. BY pursuing the course pro-
posed they show in the first place their willing
ness to sustain the most barefaced and outra-
geous frauds upon honest elections, and in the
second place their utter lack of philosophy in
defeat and their inability to comprehend tho
first principles of a democratic form of govern
ment. No party ever existed that so constantly
and pcrsistently pursued the policy of rule or
ruin" Meanwhile the Republicans can afford
to look upon the present proceedings with
equanimity, since they only serve to illus
trate the faulty of their opponents and furnish
reasons why the people cannot afford to trust