Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-12-22
AN wrEMpfaxrf POLICY.

We have no sort OF patience with
the war that certain intolerant news
papers are making on Randall and his
late adherents, This abuse of the dis
tinguished Democrat from Pennsylva.
mia and those papers and politicians
that supported him for the Speaker
ship, is not only impolitic but unwar-
ranted. The sound Democracy of Mr..
Randall cannot be questioned and the
South owes him more than she does
any other member of Congress. He
was her friend in time of need; when
others trembled in cowardice, he bold
ly led the opposition and saved the
South from the despotic vengeance OF
Grants Force bill. The fearless and
noble stand he took then should,
| alone, make every Southern white
man his friend. If he is in principle
the embodiment of high protective
tariff, twas well enough that he should
have been defeated in a race for
Speaker, made on that issue; but that
affords no reason why he should be
kicked out of the party and the Democ-
racy of all who supported him denied.
Is the Democratic party so certain of
victory that it can afford on the eve OF
presidential contest to throw off so
large portion of its membership ?
Do these impetuous journals that AFRO
gate all Democratic orthodoxy to them
selves, consider that the party is able
to win in spite of internal dissentions ?
The New York Sun, the New Orle-
ans Times-Democrat, The Nashville
American, The Mobile Register and
numerous other papers, that have each
of them been host in itselfin battling
for Democracy, are all summarily dis
missed from the party by these fiery
organs. and declared, as the old man
of the Memphis Avalanche was wont
to observe, ''damradikils in disguise"
The congressman who voted for Ran
dali in the caucus is boldly informed
that he need not expect reelection
at the hands of his party and must
seek political preferment in other
quarters il he desires it. The unwis-
dom OF such a course as that is appa-
rent enough and is calculated to arouse
the suspicion that the papers that in
dulge in such ,utterances really have
not the good of the party at heart.
If discord exists in the ranks of the
party, common sense dictates that it
should be healed in order that the
party achieve success in the coming
election. These filings at Randall and
his followers are fire brands, calcula-
ted to widen the breach, or to create a
breach if none already exists. There
is a common ground in the tariff
questions on which all Democrats can
readily unite. 1t is found in the Ohio
platform and is the only truly sensible
position on that much discussed sub
jet. When first promulgated by the
Columbus convention it was accepted
by all Democrats and would have
proved the cement for party differen-
ces but for the Incorporate talk of
these over jealous and hot headed
journals. Carlisle has expressed HIM
self on the tariff III essentially the
same language as the Ohio utterance,
and Randall has declared that he en-
dorses it. Besides that, Randall and
all his followers acquiesced in the
choice of Carlisle and voted for him
in the election in the House. Why
then seek to create dissentions in the
party that if persisted in will lose it all
hope of electing the President in 1884.