The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-04-26
to SAY on the subject:


There is one intellectual element.
which. if allowed preceder ce in Democrat
&c councils Tor the next twelve months.
viii! insure success, and that IS what Is
USUALLY called common sense. 1t must be
confessed that, Tor MANY years past. 1t has
not prevailed to any very conspicuous ex
tent in the management OF the democratic
party, but has rather been suppresse u
and kept in the background. Tie Chief
prominence has been given to gentlemen
with an idea, and the regular and invaria-
BILE result has been an important gnashlng
of teeth among the faithful over tte.r
defeat. This process has become very
fatiguing. not to say demoraiiZlng, ana.
unless it is stopped. will end in the disso-
luton of the Democratic party. There IS.
practically, no serious difference amongst
the leaders or masses Of the party upon
the great economic questions Which have
gradually risen into prominence In the
country, but the danger which threaten >
1t arises from the inordjnate ambition and
conceit of certain xculd-be leaders to
whom experience conveys no wisdom and
disaster serves only as ALI lrrltant. 1hls
ambition and concert must be chastened,
and the gentlemen who have displayed IL
must be stripped of their epauletts other
wise the winds Of November, 1884, will
be more heavily laden than ever with the
walls CT discounted Democracy.
To one vino has carefully read and ana
lived the speeches of Democratlc Senators
and Representatives in Congress-, and the
newspaper essays Of Democratic editors
throughout the country. it is apparent
that there is almost entire unani,nlty OF
judgment as to the principle on which
taxation for Federal purposes should be
levied. They all agree that the object to
be kept in view. and that which was con-
tenapiated by the trainers OF til" Constitu-
tion in providing for tariff taxation. was
the raising Of the revenue necessary for
the purposes al the government. Tnis Is
the vantage ground, and the only vantage
ground as 10 the tariff which they have
over their opponents. who insist that the
protection. OF American industry IS the
chief object to be aimed at. These are
| the antagcnistic principle nivolved-upon
which. respectively. AS the one or the
other DR.. walls, the schedules OF tariff
are constructed.
Why. then, should any Democrat in
! sist in the face Of adverse experience, up
on q refinement of the principle upon
which bis party ID agreed, anu more
precise definition of the dogma which
e body understand: There Is fair.
square issue between the parties-wny
| compiicate it: We have been g:atitiea
lately 10 see that certain of our contcm-
poraries who at first insisted on the use
Of the same phrase--''a tariff for revenue
only"--whsch was incorporated lii tue
Cincinnati platform, seem willing to fore
60 it, and adopt other language, ci course
without any abandonment of principle OH
their part, and we are >anguine that such
will be the sense Of the whole party when
the time comes to formulate their views
upon the tariff question We would not
if this matter was being discussed for the
first time, object i'll the least to the use
OF the words employed at Cincinnati. but
they have been falsely interpreted to
mean free trade, and that is their popular
significance to-day. They, therefore, are
not to be used as the battle-cry of the
Democratic party, because they do not
fairly represent ITS aims while they do
serve to recruit the RANKS Of its enemies
The party is not half so badly divid' d up
on this or any other question as the Re
publicans. and therefore it would be sui
cidal to make unnecessary issues. Let
common sense prevail in its councils and
all will be WE'LL