Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-08
GOVERNOR cLEvsLAHD's ADVICE TO
HIS PARTY.


York, the guest made speech, in which
he uttered many truths. He aaid 81 am
"quite certain that the late demonstration
" did not spring from any pre-existing love
" for tic party which was called to power,
"nor did the people place the affairs of
state in our hands to be by them forgot
"ten. We shall utterly fail to
tread Alright the signs of the times if We
"are not fully convinced that parties are
:" but instruments through which the PEG.
"ple work their will, and that when they
become less or more corrupt the people
"desert or destroy them" Governor Cleve-
land has given his party good advice, but
whether the party will or can follow it, is
quite another question. We think all such
advice will be thrown sway, and we base
this belief upon candid review of the
past history of the Democracy. Indeed.
when Governor Cleveland declared his con.
viction that the Democratic victory was
not due to "any pre-existing love for the
party which was called to power" be ad-
pitted great deal. The success of the
Democracy was due to the dissatisfaction
OF the people with the Republican party
Very few VINO voted the Democratic ticket
to rebuke the Republican " Bosses" had
any expectation that they were helping
forward political reform otherwise than in
directly. Taere was no Glove" for the
Democratic party involved, and this was
so because the Democratic party has never
done anything to inspire confidence. 1t
has been kept cut of power for many years
because the country regarded it with dis
trust. 1. was regarded with distrust be.
cause its policy has been maiign and mis-
chievous, because il represents the aggre.
gated stupidity, ignorance and venality of
the nation more emphatically than any
other party, and because it has never been
in power without becoming corrupt
Now to tell such party that the people
will eventually desert or destroy any DO.
hticil organization which becomes corrupt,
ia not likely to produce a great moral
awakening. The men who will now push
themselves to the Democratic front are not
men TO whom the consciousness OF public
duties well performed can be compensa.
ton for opportunities of plumber untitled.
To them the main object is spoila, and if,
after they have feathered their own nests
warmly, their party is deserted or de-
"ssroyed by the people, they will not
care much. In fact nothing can be more
unphilosophical than to imagine that the
possession of power is going to purify q
party which has been kept out of power
nearly generation because its honesty was
below par. II the Directors of bank
should select ns Cashier a man who had
been under police surveillance for twenty
years, and was shrewdly suspected of being
on intimate terms with burglars and other
bad characters, on the supposition that the
possession of power to steal would of itself
prevent Kim from indulging his peculative
predictions, the community would be apt
to conclude that those Directors were fit
subjects for the Lunacy Commissioners.
Ye5 something not at all unlike this is
what has just happened, and the public
consequently ought not to be expo cted TO
take much stock in aEy theory Of the
latent goodness OF the Democratic party.
We do net mean to say that the late
revolution was a mistake. IL had to be
made in order TO teach the political man.
ayers on the Republican side that the
country was not prepared to sustain a
disguised Democracy under the style and
title of the Republican party. But this
necessary work Involved a sacrifice, and
that sacrifice consisted in the temporary
acceptance of Democratic rule. The Dem
ocrats have not undergone any such trans.
formation as some theoiogians suppose will
attend the death of tie true believer.
Their wings have not begun to sprcub, nor
have they, ike Bunyan's Pilgrim, been
relieved of their burden of sin. Thew are
today precisely what they were a month
ago. Their political methods, their moral
standards, their ideas OF craftsmanship, are
all unchanged. To suppose anything else
would be to imply that for many years
past the Democracy has been entirely mis-
understood by the country that it has all
these years been Saint IL disguise that
the people have utterly misinterpreted its
tendencies. Now We do not think it DOS.
sible to entertain such conception as
that The csuntry, we have no doubt, has
very fully understood the Democracy, and
because it has done so it has carefully ex.
cludcd that party from power up to the
present time and even now it would not
have admitted it had there been any other
means of rebuking Republican misrule.
We therefore expect that the Democracy
will act after its kind, and we shall not be
disappointed unless it should prove itself
capable of regeneration in its old age.
That, however, would be a political mir
acle, and miracles are things which never
happen. The Democracy will no doubt act
as it has always done that is to gay, it
viii ignore all its campaign professions Of
virtue, and proceed to make as much hay
as possible while the sun shines. In tbs
meantime it is well that it should derive
as little benefit as possible from the IRA
tionally hopeful and unphilosophically
serious advice of its few really good men.
1t has always had attached to it some men
OF pure aims and blameless life -; if any
life can be called blame!ess which embraces
utilization with the Democratic party.
Upon the conduct and talents of these few
honest but misguided souls their wicked
partners" have traded most audaciouslv.
Aud We are not certain that these hon.
orable Democrats who have thus been
made use of ought not be held to some
responsibility in the premises; though
perhaps if that moral refinement was at
tempted il Hould be necessary IN arn,, tLo