The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-10-31
A Candid Democrat.


There is. now and then Democrat
who realizes the condition of his party
and is courageous enough to speak out
about tin terms not to be misunderstood.
Such man is Congressman Reagan, of
Texas, whose partisan orthodoxy nobody
will dispute, and whose prominence In
public affairs gives general interest to
his views and observations. This out
spoken Texan has recently been express
ing himself as to the persevering cow
ardice and double dealing manifested
by those who frame Democratic resolu-
meeting the issues squarely, he declares,
and what they say may mean anything
or nothing, as one chooses to interpret
it. The vital questions of the time are
all lodged or straddled. and instead Of
presenting a bold, candid front, the
party wears Sinking and Janus-faced
aspect which with parties as with indi-
viduals is an advertisement of timidity,
duplicity and feebleness.
On the matter of the tariff, for in
stance, Mr.. Reagan confesses that it is
impossible to determine from Demo-
cratic platforms and speeches what the
Democratic policy is, or what position
is likely to be taken in the coming Pres
idential contest. There is a pulling at
cross purposes in every direction, and
not with view to arriving at definite
and explicit agreement, but with the
obvious intent of evading any down
right action upon the subject. A SIM
liar hesitancy and uncertainty prevails
regarding the currency question, the
labor problem, and all the other issues
that invite discussion and must be met
and solved. Il think" Mr.. Reagan
frankly says, ''that leading Democratic
politicians and newspapers are trying to
hide from themselves and the country
the fact that these issues are pressing
for solution;" hoping that somehow the
people can be induced to believe that
the true panacea for all political dis
orders is simply new deal IN the Of
fees.
A man of experience and student of
history like Mr.. Reagan knows that no
political party can afford to occupy a
negative or doubtful position on any
question of current Importance. No
argument should be required to con-
vince a Democrat of this fact. The
course of his own party during the last
twenty-five years is a glaring proof that
success does not lie in the direction of
lodging and trimming. "The crime
of the Democracy, as Mr.. Reagan puts
it, lis its weakness" Whenever it
confronts an occasion where pluck and
squareness are demanded, it proves to
be invertebrate and given over to ways
of crookedness and darkness. It has
been so in every National contest since
| 1860, notwithstanding the repeated les
sons of disaster that should have taught
wisdom and the worth of sincerity and
courage. The people understood this
thoroughly; and still the Democratic
leaders appear to think that the way to
get votes is to assume that the people
are both unenlightened and uncon-
cerned in political affairs.
1t is easy to see that Mr.. Reagan has
J not much hope that his party is going
| to take positive ground on any issue.
The indications all forbid a thought of
that kind. No sooner is a proposition
made for an aggressive step in any di-
rection than reason is found to discour-
age and prevent it. in the interest of
harmony and latitude of personal opin-
ion. The men who ought to be matur-
ing a coherent and pronounced schedule
of party belief and purpose are really
engaged in doing all they can to put
such thing out of the question, with
every prospect of accomplishing their
object Mr.. Reagan is the first one of
all the acknowledged leaders who has
ventured to open his mouth against the
| idea of disguise and EVASION, and in
favor of an open, unmistakable profess
sion of Democratic sentiment and de-
sign; and his frankness will be gener-
ally derided and denounced by the cr-
gans of the party as an unjustifable as
persion of the motives of men quite as
| good as himself.
The fact remains to be noted that Mr..
Reagan might have given additional
force to his remarks by contrasting the
attitude of his party with that of the
Republican party in this matter Of
graphing with important questions. 1t
| is never any trouble to ascertain what
the Republicans think and propose.
Their convictions arealways announced
| in good season and in words not hard
to spell or comprehend. Republican
leaders do not find it necessary or de-
sirable to promote harmony by sitting
expression and distracting attention
from the main issue with pettifoggery
and make believe; and Republican news
papers are not required to veer and tack
with every breeze that blows. When
man votes the Republican ticket he
knows what he is voting for, and what
will follow. A Republican triumph has
fixed and understood meaning, be-
cause Republican platform is made to
convey ideas, not to conceal them, and
the Republican party is a party of prin-
ciple and courage, not of pretense and
cowardice. All this might have been
properly set forth by Mr.. Reagan, had
he cared to pursue his sub, ,ect to its le-
gitimate conclusions; for it is not trrer
that the crime of the Democratic party
is its weakness than that the crowning
virtue of the Republican party is its
characteristic readiness to make known
its preferences and its purposes, and to
contend for them straight forwardly and
without shadow of turning.-St. Louis
| Globe Democrat.