Daily Kennebec journal., 1883-12-24
A Party Of Expediency.


The democratic party has been for many
years party of expediency. 1t has had
no principles which it would not renounce
whenever expediency seemed to demand
it. During the war it was opposed to.
fighting the South, but when the war was
over it had no scruples about supporting
Horace Greeley for President - who all
democratic papers said was the chief cause
of the war-and Gen. Mcclellan and Gen.
Hancock, men who led Union troops
against the South. During the war the
democratic party was in favor Of hard
money and opposed TO greeenbacks After
the war it changed its course for expe-
disncy sake. took the greenback party to
it, bosom, advocated indefinite and illimit-
able issues of greenbacks and opposed
the resumption of specie payments. 1t
was an anti-war party when the Union
boys were fighting to save the government.
and war party after the victory was
Won and peace restored. 1t was hard
money party when the government had
nothing but greenbacks with which to pay,
feed and clothe its soldiers in the field, ,and
q soft money party when an effort was
made TO get rid Of our irredeemable cur
rency and make hard money the basis of
financial operations.
Out of power it has advocated the reform
of the civil service. Mr. Pendleton, one
Of its leaders, is the author of the bill
on that subject which became law at
the last session of Congress. In power
It turns all republicans out of office and
puts democrats in their places. Service,
character, claims are disregarded when
the incumbents are republicans and
their offices are desired by democrats.
For expedisncy's sake they talk civil SER
vice reform, but when they have offices
TO distribute they give them to none but
those who vote the democratic ticket.
They have just elected free trader for
Speaker of the House. But they are in a
quandary as to what they will do about it,
They are afraid to move in the direction
Of free trade policy lest it may cost them
votes and damage their prospects in the
Presidential election. To high tariff dem
ocrats they represent Mr.. Carlisle as q
protectionist; but where free trade is pop
ular they give him the character of an ar
dent supporter Of that doctrine. 1t has
been given out that he will not disturb the
tariff very much this session, but what
will be done no democrat seems to know.
The committees have been delayed until
the present time. in order that the Speaker
may have opportunity to do the expodicnt
thing about making them up, and please
the numerous applicants for the best
places. II is rumored that they will be
announced before adjournment for the
holidays, but the announcement will be
postponed until the last minute. and the
country kept waiting until Mr. Carlisle has
taken care of Perry Belmont. satisfied his
father, and made it reasonably certain that
he has duly considered the vast response
bilities of 1884.
What kind of a platform in regard to the
tariff question the democratic party will
adopt at the national convention it is per-
fectly useless to conjecture. Well-in-
formed members of the party cannot tell
themselves. 1t may be for free trade or
against 1t, or balancing of phrases so
that 1t may mean either one or the other or
neither. just as it may seem necessary to
interpret it to suit persons and locali-
ties. As expedency appears to dictate
% the platform will be framed. 1t will
be like all others in that respect which
have been laid down by the party for the
last twenty years. Expediency and not
principle has been the rule which has been
followed by the democracy; the country
knows ii right well and knows also that
there is no hope of anything better next
year at least.