New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-06
BIRRFLS TO TIE FRONT.

There's music in the air. A few days ago 1t
was the shouting of victors; now it is the wall
of the lost. Mr. NOrdhOff who does the trumpet
blowing for the free-trade end of the Dem
ocratic party, made very loud noise when
Speaker Carlisle was elected he proclaimed the
matchless virtue and the lofty resolution of
"the reformcrs," predicted daily that tariff bill
of singular wisdom and honesty would soon be
reported, and that the tricksters would be
forced to vote for it or get out OF the Dem
ocratc party. and pompOusly announced, but
few days ago, that the party had done with Mr..
BNrnum AID his mules, and would lind some
other leader for its National Committee. few
short hours have passed, and now Mr.. Nordhoff
walls, "The Morrison Tariff bill is beaten
1t may be observed, en- PEASANT, that this Is not
news THE TRIBUNE announced February 9th
that Il combination had been formed OF DEM
ocratic representatives, and members OF Che
National Committee, by which the Morrison
Tariff was virtually killed-its passage in the
House was rendered impossible. But Mr..
Morrison would not believe it, and said, Let
I" them try it we will see what becomes OF them
"afterward." week later even Mr.. NOrdhOf1
sees things, and he now says, "Thcre has been
close count, and the tally shows that Mr..
Randall will be followed by about iifty-four
" gentlemen who on this issue prefer the Repub-
{" lican to the Democratic side, although they
" were elected as Democrats
Ii will occur to most people that the average
Carlisle Morrison Democrat must be unhappy.
For this nersOn sincerely believes Chat abso-
lutcly the only chance his party has is to
make a square and uncompromising fight for
revenue tariff To kill the bill in his estimation,
is to kill the party Hence Mr.. Nordhofl lifts
up his voice and walls as follows: "When the
Chicago Democratic Convention meets 1t Viii
probably have for its first business to discover
whether there is a Democratic party, next
"what it consists of, and il will then have to
"decide whether the party is to be headed by
" Mr.. Barnm of Connecticut, with New lork
Flower barrel or an Ohio oil barrel, or whether
" it will DROP barrels and 20 i'll for the people ;
right and so forth. This will be an IN
teresting voyage of discovely-hardly less
interesting than the search for the sources OF
the Nile or the location of the North Pole The
intrepid explorers may get frozen to death ;
their bodies may be brought home after many
days on sledgcs but why should not few men
sacrifice themselves in the interest OF science [!
1t would be so important 10 know where the
North Pole is, and whether there is a Democratic
party.
For advertising and scientific purposes, let
the exploring expedition go forth. For practical
purposes, The TRIBUNE can answer in
advance, as it answered more than week ago,
the question as to the Morrison bill. Yes, there
is a Democratic party. 1t is composed OF
sincere free traders q parts and trimmcrs
and trcksters who will profess anything to
catch votes Il part) held together by common
hunger OF necessity, this party cannot win
without cheating somebody II wants industrial
reaction, the overthrow of industries built up
under protective duties, and therefore gets up
raid every year, and threatens horribly, and
makes itself nuisance to all honest industry
and trade Then, having more hunger than
conviction, it concludes to put Off its aims Just
this once" until after election, goes to the
barrels of money, oil OF whiskey for success,
disgraces itself again in the eyes of voters who
have either honest convictions or common sense,
and gets beaten. The next year it begins the
same round over again. Great is the Dem
oclatic party and Mr. Morrison is its prophet
eleven months before election, but not later.
1t would be expedient for Mr.. Nordhoif not to
say too many harsh things about barrels. His
party is going to prefer barrels to brains
Drowned persons, he will please to remember,
are rolled on barrels by rural philosophers as
favorite mode of resuscitatiOn. As the DEM
ocratic party is far gone this time, the effort to
resuscitate is likely to require all the money
whiskey, oil, and other barrels Obtainable
Even then, recovery is not certain.