The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-04-25
g Democratic Dissensions.

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q d-z.sa Democratic Dissensions.
The Democratic party of the country
is anxiously endeayoring to prepare it
self for the great contest of 1884, and it
is evident that it has on hand task of
considerable difficulty. In order to
have q fair prospect of winning in that
contest It must be united, and in order
to find any strength in union it must
agree upon q position with reference to
id1estiof1B iHf~ which the people in 1854
are to feel q vital interest. 1t must
enter the contestwith well defined prin-
-ciples, and be prepared to stand by
them. 1t is evident that the party in
the several States is somewhat embar-
rassed by a.lsck acknowledge as to pre-
cisely what Democratic principles are
henceforth to be. The first convention
of the year has Just been held in the
little State of Rhode Island, and It could
do no better than to nominate discarded
Republican for the principal Office to be
filed and adopt no platform at all.
Apparently, it was at q loss what to
put into a declaration of principles,
and, to be on the safe side, avoided
making any. 90 saE.iif go sfFr -
There could be no better evidence
that the tariff question has not been set
tied, but is to play an important part in
the political agitation of the next yeaf
and q half, than the contest already
going on between the leaders and adj
visers of the Democracy in regard to the
Speakership of the next House of Rep
resentatiFes., It is precisely on that
question that there is the utmost Lack of
harmony In the party. 1t has paraded
itself for some time as q revenue-fe
form party. but that could be done
without serious peril to harmony, $50
long as it was not burdened with re-
sponsibilitv for legislation on the sub
ject. But in the new Congress it is to
have control of the +" popular branch, ="
in which revenue legislation is supposed
to originate, and It win be under the
necessity of agreeing upon its position.
There may not be any important tariff
legislation at the next session, but If the
question is "live" one-it seems like
ly to be at least a lively one with the
Democrats-it will enter into the Ma
tional contest Immediately following the
session, and the party must be in line or
run the risk of serious Generalization.
The most important preliminary of the
coming contest viii be the election OF
the Speaker of the next House.
Nobody seems to suppose that it viii
be possible for the Democratic party to
| take position against further reform
of the tariff and in favor of maintaining
conspicuously protective policy on
which the present law is based. Har-
mony is maniiestly not to be attained
\ by that Ieourse.1 But Notwithstanding
that obvious fact, the contest over the
Speakership is waged over the relative
claims of a pronounced revenue+re.
former like Mr.. Carlisle, of Kentucky,
or Mr.. Cox, of this State, and an equally
positive protectionist, Mr.. Randall, OF
Pennsylvania. The New York Sun has
has made itself the special champion OF
| the claims of Mr.. Randall, at the same
! time that it is an ardent advocate of the
! policy of harmony in the party, to be
attained by, allowing differences OF
opinion within the party and avoiding q
contest over the tariff question. Moth.
| ing is more evident than that such 8
contest cannot be avoided, and if an
escape from it were possible, nothing
would be better calculated to precipitate
it than an effort to make Mr.. Randall
the Speaker The enormous power
of that officer in shaping the legis.
lative policy of his party is vel
known. 1t can only be done through
committees of Z his selection, and
there is no manner of doubt as to the
tariff policy which Mr.. Randall would
have in view in making up the commit
tees of the House. If Mr.. Carlisle's Sc
lection would mean division on thi;
subject, it is no less certain that the Sc
lection of Mr.. Randall would mean the
same thing, and the question is, which
man represents the wing most likely te
have a controlling power over the party
| The choice of the Pennsylvania pro
| tectionist, no less than that of the Ken
lucky 1revenue-reformer, would signify
the triumph of one faction over the 9th.
er. and yet, the Sam, strangely enough
talks of an effort to prescribe the one
while it sees nothing of prescription IL
opposing the other. 1t asks whether
| such man as Mr.. Randall is oto bt
stricken down "because he thfnks il
proper and necessary in levying dutie:
on imports to pay some regard to the
situation and security of important in
| dustries in our own country" as if he
did not represent to the fullest extern
the demand for protection in the highes
degree and for its own sakes What i
means by the protection of sucl
local interests as the. manufacture o
whisky, which Mr.. Randall s opponent
are said to be doing their utmost Il
maintain, may be left for it to explain
If harmony is to be maintained by whai
is grotesquely called the :. time-honoreG
liberty of thought. and action of tht
| Democratic. .party-that is, by agreeing
upon nothing. because there are differ
ences of opinion-it is evident tina
somebody must be found besides eithel
Carlisle, or, Cox, or Randall, to repre-
sent that lack of position on the tarif
question. Certainly none of these mer
represents it.
But we suspect that those organs o
the Democratic party are right which
claim that before it can, win in 1884 i
must efight out the tariff issue in it
own ranks" 1t must find harmony by
being on one side or the other of thu
4 great questions which are destined tt
divide political opinion in the next ma
tional contest, and not by trying to bt
on both sides or on neither side. L
! will be interesting to watch the progress
of this struggle of the Democracy tt
get into position for 1884, and in tn,
/ meantime the Republicans have leisur,
toawait deyelopments.--M 7. Times.
+ "a few days ago a laborer who haG
been employed all winter in digging W