New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-01
DISC USES OF NO USE.

The idea is prevalent among Democrats AT
Washington that the party can decide It's fate'
in great measure by the choice of Mr. COX, MT
Carlisle. or Mr.. Randall for Speaker. In effect
If is assumed that the party by one vote can re-
construct itself, or can convince the people mat
if has reconstructed itself. 1t would be wiser
70 take to heart Mr.. WattcrsOn's remark, that
the partv cannot hide its record.
There are men who fancy that, by putting on
Mr.. Randall as "a mask the party can deceive
voters. Some prOteCtioniSts, OF course, WOulu
feel safer for the present with Mr.. Randall III
the Sneakers chair. But his election as Speaker
would not change in the least degree their cX-
mediation as to the action of the party al'er
the Presidential election, if it should happen TO
elect President. Even his own election rs PrcSl-
dent would be no guarantee OF change OF pur'
nose. lie represents certain eyaSlVe ana tIIchy
tactics which it is proposed to adopt i'll order TO
elect President. For that purpose, the party
NAV be willing to bottle itself mp, to conceal ITS
opinions and play the trick of 1914 once more
tn hurry its record and beseech its frec-traders
to make themselves as little conspicuous as pos
sible. But all that would not change the spirit
or aim of the party. Neither Mr.. Randall nor any
body else could prevent its real spirit from mani
Testing itself in acts after an election NOrWOuld
the mask affect public opinion. For more than
forty years the Democratic party has embodied
all the organized hostility to protection that there
has been in this country. No other party has
advocated frcc-trade bills, or passed frec-tradc
resolutions no other has denounced the system
of protection as robbery, nor has any other tried
70 break down this or that branch of home in
dustry. upon the prctext that it wished to re-
lieve the people from burdens All this will be
remembered whether the Democratic party
p|cases TO put on the Randall mask or not.
So there are others who fancy that the cleo
tion of Mr.. Carlisle would give the Democratic
party sectional aspect. But that Is entirely
unjust. The party is sectional and always mas
been. 1t has lived, moved, and had its being IN
tho South, been ruled by Southern ideas and
aims. held it duty for half a century to snceze
whenever Southern leaders took snuff, assailed
Northern beliefs and outraged Northern conyic-
tions, and for many years has owed to the
South absolutely every electoral vote OF which
it was sure. There has never been another
party so Extensively sectional rs this. But 1t
would not add to the fact nor disclose the fact,
nor in any other way alter the situation, to elect
n Southern Speaker. Mr.. Carlisle Is not the
more competent candidate, nor the more tolera-
bic to Northern opinion, but it Is childish to
urge that his election would make the Demo
cratic party appear to be, what it is and always
has been, distinctvcly and Extensively sec
tiona party.
1t will not do the Democrats any good to try
to hide anything. This is an age of news
papers and tclcgraphs. The people know so
much about the Democratic party that one vote
cannot enlightcn them. The Democrats may as
well vote for the man they really prefer, who
ever it may be. They may be sure that no one
vote day will make people forget the history
of forty years.