The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-12-13
Democratic Perplexities.

The Democrats of the country at pres
ent are like that famous army OF France,
of which every so dier was said to carry
a Fie dmarshal's s stall in his knapsack.
There is not q Democrat of the east po-
itical notoriety in the country to-day,
who has not the secret expectation that
the Presidential lightning will strike
him, and consequently the names of
those mentioned in connection with the
matter, can be counted by the hundreds
Candidates shoot up like mushrooms in
a damp spring-night, and the Bourbon
papers are full of ali kinds of possible
and impossible combinations. "C.eve-
land and q ick,' &C .eveland and Nc
Donald" Batter and Morrison" are
some of the more prominent among the
newer names. while in the background
there is the endless ar, ay of standing
applicants, who are by no means in
clined-and VIII, should they bep-to
give way to the Young upsI arts. There
Is the great sufferer, Iilden, as promi-
nent as ever There is the vo luminous
Hanco X, there are Bayard and Thur
man sti On de.k; there are Hewitt,
Randall. Eng iish and the host of others,
who have righteous claims.
For, on the one hand, they agree that
the safest way TO proceed in the next
session of Congress. their Congress, is
to let we'll enough alone, to do nothing
that might compromise the Bourbon
cause, to steer along skillfully among
the breakers of National legislation,
and by no means impair their prospect
of ultimate resurrection by too much
work. They feel the responsibility and
they are afraid to assume it. But on
the other band they cannot go before
the people without having something
to show as the result of their reforma-
torial endeavors. They have led the
people to believe that there is misman-
agement in the Republican -Administra-
tion, that the Republican Congress
neglected to Ieliaye the people and they
have promised, that they, if the oppor-
tunity were extended to them. would
right the wrongs and bring about a bet
ter and more satisfactory state of af-
fairs. Now they have the coveted
chance, and while feeling a natural
aversion TO take hold of matters, which
so.long they only knew to criticize, but
showed no ability to improve. they feel
that something must be done, to go to
the people with.
Their great cry has been the sex
travagancy" of the Republican party,
which, they allege, grew out of the
enormous surplus in the National Treas
ury, accommodating from the fearful tax
alton of the people by the system of in
ternal revenue and the protective tariff;
and they promised to lessen the burden.
How to do this is the perplexing prob
lem, which they will first try to solve
by the election of the Speaker of the
new House. There are many appli-
cants for the position, but only two of
I ~. 1,ll -
| Pennsylvania, and Mr.. Carlisle of Ken
tucky. These two gentlemen represent
quite different elements, and the COM
ING contest between them VIII illustrate
very fairly how utterly void of real
| programme the Democratic party is to-
day, and how much they disagree on
the very subjects which they used as
levers during the campaign. Mr.. Ran
dall-an able demagogue-is a pro-
nounced protectionis., opposed to all
| reduction of duties on foreign inn
ports. but in favor of the COM
| plete adjustment of internal taxa
| tion, the tax ON whisky and tobacco in
cluded. With him in the Speakers
| chair, the Committees would be COM
| posed in the interest of the Democratic
manufacturers of Pennsylvania and the
East. generally, a proceeding which
/ WOuIu Hnu the OppOSlIiOH OF the lem
ocratic party West and South.
Nor will the perplexity be removed
| by the success of Mr.. Carlisle, the
candidate of the South. He appears foI
those Democratic regions which are
| more interested in the removal of the
burden of tariff taxation. He is openly
opposed to every and any kind of duty
4 on imports. During the last session
of Congress he said: 81 have never
been able to comprehend how the re-
| duct on OF the tariff to mere rev.
enue basis could possibly injure any
material interests of the country. ~
Here we have hefree-trader par ercel-
ience. the man who cares naught foI
the manu- sacturing interests of the
country, who is unable to see the least
danger to anybody or any class, when
the protection heretofore granted tC
their industry is removed. He, OF
course, for the purpose of gaining pres
tige for the. party and helping his sec.
ton, would also favor the abolishment
of all internal revenue taxation.
These two men represent the two
main factions of a party which wants to
assume control of public affairs without
being able to agree on a fixed policy oi
legislation, which to-day finds itself in
the perple King position of being unable
to decide what to do, and would prefer
to let matters rest as they are, were il
not for the fraudulent pledges given tc
the people.-Bur.iigion HaioSeye.