New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-06
PANR HVNBTG.

The current Democratic rallymg cries 'ue
nothing if not the last expression of humDug.
The Republican party must go" is a demand,
by implication, that the Democratic party
must come. "Turn the rascals out is, in its
full sioni1cance a bid for Office, based on the
| theory that, in the last analysis, Republican
| ia dishonest and u Democrat honest. In other
| words, the Democratic party is now hard at
work, consciously or uncOnsciously, endeavor-
inc TO out PhaliSee the PharisCe who stood up
| in the temple and with an uDctuous seli-conl-
nacency thanked God that lie was not as other
men are
What is the record of the party that loudly
calls for the retirement of the Republican
marty. that styles Republicans "rascals ~ 1t
is lust what such "a display OF Phallsceism
vould lead one TO expect. 1t possesses
VIGOROUSLY bad character 1t has been out
of power for quarter OF cen
tury for cause. 1t has richly earned
the large measure of public distrust that
il has so long experienced. 1t helped to
make the Civil War possible 10y the aid and
comfort which it steadily afforded slavery.
The South would never have taken up arms
had it not believed that in a pinch it could
rely upon the Democracy of the North. 1t
the Copperheads. Ii was wrong upon all the
great issues growing out Of the war-sucl Is
| sucs as enumeration, the greenback. the
" failure of the Union cause, reconstruction,
| and resumption. Does it lie in the mouth of
patty whose reputation is thus unsavory TO
| set itself up as a censor OF public morals, TO
| call other folks "rascals," and plainly insnu-
| ate that its own members are distinguished
for their purity and their ardent love for re-
form 1t may he answered that the heinous
Democratic sins to which we have referred,
being committed long ago. have no peril
nence in any discussion of the current status
OF Democracy.
This consideration has weight if it can
| be shown that Democracy has brought
forth fruit meet for repentance But that is
precisely what cannot be saown. Look abroad
| over the country o-day. The Ohio Democracy
| is relying for success in the present campaign
| upon rum. The same is true oil the Iowa
Democracy, which still further reveals the
| disreputable nature of the influences that
shape its policy by vulgar dicker with the
| Greenbackcrs. The Massachusetts, Democracy
| demonstrates its lack of moral fibre, as well
as the sharpness and depth OF its appetite for
| spols. by debasing itself TO the leadership OF
| 20 notorious demagOguc as Butler. The
| PENNSYLVANIA Democracy, in brazen defiance
of the public sentiment of the State, makes
itself a public nuisance by holding Il Leglsla-
| ture together which months ago had Outlived
| It's usefulness. The democracy of our own
| State. responsible for q Legislature that re-
| fused to do anything for the relief of farmers
and others who are called upon to pay more
! than their Share of the taxes, is now in sore
distress lest the man who has been repeatedly
stigInayized in the leading party organs as a
traitor, renegade and a political scoundre
shall decline to make common cause with 1t
| during the coming campaign.
| When they come to choose President nex
year, The American people are not going to
ask winch party is immaculate, for they know
that ucither one is hat nor apprOximates to
hat They are simply going to inquire which
has the greater claim upon the general conf
dence; which has the better general average !;
| which has been the more patriotic the more
| useful which, if the future of each is to re-
peat the past of each, will be more likely to
promote the public peace and prosperity. The
application of such commOn-sense tests will
be fatal to the forlorn hopes of the Democ-
| racy. If success was conditioned solely upon
energetic vituperatiOn OF one opponents, the
victory will doubtless he with that party. But
the competitive examination-as it has done
ever since lS60-wil ruin Democracy's pros
pecs.