The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-07-20
WHEELING INTO LINE.

The indications of the times are
that party ties are not as binding as
they have at times been. The cause
of this is that personalism has ruled
in politics, while principles have
been left to the few. The Republi-
can party hangs together alone
through the power of patronage and
of plunder, while Democracy has
struggled in vain toward sue
cess. because the leaders were
thinking more, probably, of
place than of faith. Personalism,
under the Monroe admin
istration, weakened party influence,
and there was then complete dis
ruption of parties, to give place, at
ter reaction, to Whigery and Democ-
racy. When the Whig party col
lapsed there was an attempt to plant
in its place Knownothingism, and
then followed successively the
American and the Republican
parties. The chickering's, coming
out of personalism, is working heav-
lily against the continued existence
of Republicanism, and were it
not for the adhesion that comes
of power and plunder, it
would long since have ceased to
exist, for its day is virtually passed.
In 1884 it is not improbable that
Democracy will find its enemy weak
ening, and then, should it be de-
feated, prostration and its demise
must speedily follow. To make
Democracy successful we must
weed bossism out of its ranks, must
place the party in all the states on the
line of principle and in harmony.
In few days Texas Democracy is
to put itself on record. 1t is to be
proven the mere creature of persons
and of combinations, or it must de-
fine and attach itself to
principles, that in pure republican
government cannot die, that must
live in the hearts of all who would
establish and maintain purity i'll
public administration. 1t is wisely
said by an able cotemporary that
the chief danger now besetting
Democracy is tendency to waste
itself upon immsterlal questions and
to lose sight of the cardinal points
of the situation. Nothing could be
more short-sighted, to take ready
example, than the fruitless obstruc-
ton offered the rechartering of the
national banks. The fight made over
the contested seats was also dispro-
portioned. In any event, the house
was Republican. 1t was good Demo-
cratic policy to let the Republicans
go on and perpetrate as many out
RACES as they chose. But the Dem
ocrats, after making a great hue and
cry, and diverting the public atten-
ton from more important issues,
succeeded in bringing the Republi-
cans to realizing sense OF their fol-
lY, and it was thus left for
the Republicans voluntarily to de-
sist from doing what the Demo-
Gratis had expended so much in
trying to prevent them from do
ing. Again, there are two living and
growing questions on which the
fight can be made and won in 1884.
They are tariff reform and civil SER
vice reform. About the one may be
grouped all the abuses of unequal
system of taxation. From the other
sprang most of the cOrruptions for
which the Republican party is re-
sponsible. If the Democratic plat
forms are made to embrace a thor
ough, enlightened and conscientious
statement of these great questions
and Democratic tickets be selected
of character to represent them ade-
quately, and the tone of campaigns
be pitched upon a key consonant
with their spirit and purpose, the
party will sweep the country. We
can afford to lose few states in the
south to gain a few in the north, and
we shall never make any gsins in
the north until we realize the
material needs of the country.
adapting ourselves to those
needs, and giving indubitable evil
dences of capacity to administer
the public business with an eve
single to the exigencies of the day
and generation. A majority, and no
uncomfortable majority, of the
people are sick of the Republican
party. But there is a lurking fear
of the Democratic party, under
cover of which the leaders are en-
abled to dare all sorts of adventures
and experiments. We must dis
pei this fear. We must, by
our moderation, intelligence and
conviction, show that we mean
action, not reaction, and busi-
ness rather than revenge. Thus
shall we see the devil of sectionalism
completely laid and Democratic ma
jorities roll up.by the thousands in
the east, the north and northwest.