The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-05-30
Setting the Tune.

For @I,ar or two before every Presi-
dental el.-..ion the Democratic mana
gers eng in an animated contro-
versy TO decide what the party shall
profess for the purposes of the election.
But Tor more than twenty years it has
uniformly taken the wrong position.
In 1860, in obedience to its tradition and
practice of many years, it presented
itself as the friend of slavery. In 1864
it proclaimed an ignominious surrender
to the rebellion, and nominated Union
soldier who had lost the confidence of
Union men In 1868 it asserted the un-
constitutionality of reconstruction, and
nominated an opponent of the war. In
1872 it shouted for shaking hands and
forgetfulness, and nominated Repub-
Gcan protectionist. In 1876 it professed
reform in general and nominated a Cop
perhead,- In 1880 it pronounced for a
revenue tariff, and nominated brave
soldier, who knocked over the revenue
plank with one hand and gave the other
to the paper-money charlatans. It has
left no "cry" or dodge" untried.
But with every fresh effort it has only
shown that as a party it represented
nothing whatever but desperate de-
sire for place and patronage. Even in
the midst of the extraordinary result of
the election last autumn, when the Re-
publcans were everywhere defeated.
nobody acknowledged more fully and
frankly than leading Democrats that it
was not a Democratic triumph, but
merely Republican discomfort.
The contest over the profession which
the party should make in 1884 has al
ready begun, and is already very warm.
If xxyiI1 H,o r,ro of. 11xr IaoilaI hof,xa <Ia q
Convention meets, by the election of
Randall should be elected Speaker, the
Democratic Convention would evade
the question of protection, and it would
probably select Mr.. Randall as the
candidate for the Presidency. Should
he be defeated as Speaker, the Conven-
ton would pronounce strongly for some
thing which would be generally inter-
preted as free trade, and the party
would lose the active and efficient sup
port of the Randall element, while the
Republican platform would be so drawn
as not to exclude men of Mr.. Randall's
views. The defeat of MFR. Randall as
Speaker, after the contest which is now
raging solely upon his tariff views, and
which will be very thorough by the time
that Congress meets, would be fairly in
terpreted as conclusive evidence that
the Democratic party does not hold the
views for which he stands; and as he is
but moderate protectionist, his defeat
would be held to foreshow a free-trade
policy in the event of Democratic sue
cess in 1881.
This view is rejected by many of the
free-trade Democrats upon the ground
that the phrase free trade Is improperly
applied to their position, which is that
of tariff revision in the interest of rev.
enue instead of protection. Nobody,
they anege, in the actual situation is for
free trade, because vested interests and
established industries must be consid-
cred. Here, however, is the weakness
of the anti-Randan Democratic view.
An open declaration for free trade, if
combined with an honest demand for
Civil-service Reform. would dissolve the
Democratic party, and probably lead to
party reorganization. But the pres
ent Democratic party, which is hos
tile to Civil-service Reform, and which
is profoundly distrusted for many reas-
sons could not renounee the free-trade
cry, and demand merely tariff revision
in the interest of revenue and with
careful regard to established inter-
ests, without provoking the immediate
rejoindsr of all independent free-traders
that for such results, in view of the
character and career of the Democratic
party, they prefer to trust the Repub-
ican party. A new party might entice
such voters. But, after the contest
which is now proceeding within the
Democratic party, they would no more
expect a wise revenue policy from it
than they would expect administrative
reform. There would be a profound
conviction that somebody was to be
cheated. ."-HdrDer's Weekiu.