Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-05-29
Eallrastrr filtrl!tQcnret,
MONDAY EVENING. MAY 20. 1852.
Wise Counsel.

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MONDAY EVENING. MAY 20. 1882. i,
Wise Counsel.
HOratio Seymour is one of the Demo-
cratic sages to whom the party can al
ways safely turn for words of wise coun-
sci unse1fishly given. In late interview
with a World correspondent he gives ut
terance to some views, more specifically
on New York politics, which may with
great fitness he applied in the main to
the condition ard the prospects of the
party Throughout. the country. The en-
tire self-abnegation which inspires him
may be inferred from his declaration that
the party made mistake in nominating
him, and not Judge Church, for president
in 1868, and that he accepted the nomi-
nation against his own better judgment
only because linen will do the thing
which they know they ought not to do. {"
To Mr.. Seymour and the millions like
him whose loyalty and patriotism have
kept the Democratic organization intact,
Democracy is living faith. lie says
We Democrats love our party. 1t is a
sort of religion TO us in the rural dis
tricts and we have always tried to keep
it pure and honOred. When l have been
candidate for office / have had
strangers grasp me by the hand with
tears in their eyes-not for my own
sake, hut because / was the representa-
tive of the principles to which their
lives were dedicated. l feel assured
that the Democratic party las it in it's
power to regain its supremacy in the state
and in the country. 1t may he said that
its organization is bad, and so it is. But
the Republican party is ina much worse
state. and that party is without the
power to rehabilitate itself. 1t can take
no step backward. 1t is impelled for
ward by its own weight to dissolution.
Its tendencies, unhappily, are all towards
centralization, and the machinery of our
government has grown SO enormous and
complex in its hands that it las got be.
yond control" The officials go in and
out of office, but the lobby are in for life,
and dominate all. The Republican party
has been unable or unwilling to prevent
this and it must give way.
''Cnder these circumstances the Demo-
cratic party has the opportunity to win a
great victory by standing up for consti-
tutiOnal methods OF government. By its
past traditions and history it is committed
to this popular line of policy, which the
Republicans cannot adopt if they would.
1t is ouis simply to be guided by the mar
vellOus wisdom which originally distribu-
ted jurisdiction between different local de-
pa-tments, and which had been lost sight
of in the tumults of war and in the extra.
ordinary measures arising therefrom. The
Democratic party is in the position to make
this issue. The disposition of the people,
which had its origin in self reliance grow
ing out Of the conditions of the first
settlements, instead of growing weaker on
the point of local self. lf.government grows
stronger. The masses prefer to keep po
litical affairs under their own eyes, and
have no sympathy with Capitalization.
The growth Of intercourse between the
different sections and the increase of aori.
cultural and commercial interests have
created a conservative intelligent interest,
which will rebuke all purposes and pas
sions that threaten peace and harmony. r
have no doubt of the success of tho Demo-
cratic party and of the enduring triumph
of its principles
Mr.. Seymour sees promise of this in
the Increasing tendency of the Democ-
racy toward harmony while the Repub
licans tend more and more to disintegra.
tion. The factional disputes which have
weakened the Democracy have been
mostly personal pi!arrels and, Mr.. Sey-
mour says, - it is u wise maxim that
young men should not take up old mems
quarrels. We have but a few more years
to remain here at best, and our likes and
dislilses are of comparatively little con
sequence. The young men have their
own battles to fight and their own
honOrs to win, and it is not worth their
while to trouble themselves about us.
Let them go to the front and enter the
list for themselves
All of this is eminently true OF our |
state, and sucl, sentiments have been
making their way very rapidly in the |
past two years. There is no power now |
which can array the Democracy of Penn
sylvan:a i'm two factional bodies and |
make their strife the chief interest at
taching to a state convention. The day |
for that is past.