New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-22
ANOTHER "UPRISING."

1t 10 said that q call for mass meeting To be
held in Cooper Institute on Monday evening IN
the interest of Democratic union and harmony
is in circulation, and that Democrats OF promi-
hence belonging to all the various factions are
signing it, Mr. David Dldley Field is expect
ed to preside over the meeting, which will be
addressed by distinguished orators of all de-
nominations of Democracy. If we correctly
apprehend the drift and purpose OF the contem-
plated demonstration it is intended TO affect the
action of the State Convention at Buffalo next
wetk. 1t is to be @great popular uprising" in
favor of harmony, the effect of which upon the
State Convention will be to convince that body
that the party in this city is practically mani
nous in the desire to bury past differences and
take fresh start for the future by admitting
delegates from all the factions. The last great
popular uprising" in the Democratic party in
this city took place little less than three years
ago, and it seems quite proper that by this time
there should be another. 1t is quite in accord
ance with the custom of the party too that the
present @popular uprising" should be for the
purpose of formally taking back what the
other "popular uprising" said and undoing
what the other popular uprising" did, or set out
to do. 1t is observed that many of the sgners
Of the call for the proposed demonstration were
promoters of the enterprise of three years ago,
and it is not unlikely that some of the orators
who proclaimed in Cooper Institute at that time
undying hostility to Tammany and its methods,
will demonstrate from the same stage on Mon
day evening the advantage and the necessity
of uniting with Tammany upon the basis Of q
fair division of the plumber.
To the superficial observer of current politics
there may seem to be something like incOnsist-
ency in this, especially since there has been no
change in TammaLy or its methods to account
for the changed attitude of the uprsers. But the
thoughtful citizen who has watched the course
of the Democratic party for the past twenty
years will nothing in it that is not perfectly
consistent with its history and record during that
period. For three years is abOut the average
time occupied 10y the party in e1ecting an abso-
lutte and complete change of front upon any
political question. 1t will be found upon e1-
animation of the parys record for the past
twenty years that there has not been political
issue in all that time upon which it has not
changed front entirely. This has been the case
with every aspect of the slavery question, pros
ecution of the war, currency, finance, resuinp-
ton, tariff and the Civil Service. Upon every
tended to hold at one time views Numerically
opposed to those it has held or pretended to
hold at another. So that although individuals
may seem guilty of inconsistency, the party
may be said to be faithful TO it's traditions and
perfectly consistent in its record The proceed
ings on Monday evening might be sippliied
perhaps, if the preambles and resolutions adopt
ed three years ago in the same place by many
of.the same men were to be read as showing
what. the present surprising" is not for and what
the present uprsers do not mean. Or the pur-
pose Of the demonstration might be stated in
q single resolution TO this effect: Whereas,
we uprose three years ago to put Tammany
down, therefore, Resolved, that we now uprss
to set Tammany up"
But the usual and perhaps easier way will
be followed of making no reference to the past.
That In fact Is cardinal principle of modern
Democracy, that by cones must be considered as
bygones-all illusions to the past being out of
order and offensive. Let it be understood that
every surprising" stands so to speak, on its own
bottom, without reference to ANY former sup
rising" and that no upriser Is to be called to
account for having upriscn before. Men who
uprise one day because they are "spoliDg for a
fight" may uprise the next because they are