The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-07-05
The Democratic Convention.

The Democratic National Convention will
meet at Chicago on Tuesday next. No SINH
lar convention for years has been awaited with
S lch interest and solicitude. Its proceedings
will be watched by all parties and by those of
no party. Republicans, hopeful though not
sanguine, are waiting to see whether mis-
take will be made to give them fighting
chance for continued power; Democrats,
hopeful and quite sanguine, are waiting to
see that no error be made; while lndepen
dents and Reformers are waiting to see if the
ticket and platform be such that they can con-
scientiously support, and thus be saved the
alternative of putting up another ticket.
The convention will meet under circum-
stances that make its conclusions of greater
interest than that of any national Democratic
convention for years. For the first time for
twenty four years the Republican party is di-
vided. They have nominated ticket and
adopted a platform that does not command
the support of very large part of the better
element of the party. On the contrary these
men are in open opposition. They declare
they will not support the ticket, and express
their willingness to support the nominees of
the Democratic convention, provided they be
men whose records will be assurance that
their administration will be one of reform and
pure methods. They are men of character
and can be relied upon. They are not mere
handful, but are sufficiently numerous to make
certain for the Democratic nominees all
doubtful and necessary states. Besides, they
are powerful enough, il the Democratic ticket
be a proper one, to add 10 the Democratic
column the electoral votes of several states
that otherwise the party would not contend for.
The Republicans-the Blaine supporters
know that unless the Democrats seriously
bunder they are badly beaten and routed.
Their only hope rests upon such a catastrophe.
They observe that their leading papers and
many of the powerful leaders of past years are
either in open opposition or lukewarm, They
observe that this is particularly true in New
York, without whose electoral vote they can
not win. This same opposition is observed
in Massachusetts,, and already the state is
transferred to the doubtful column in esti-
mates. IL is observed in Connecticut and
New Jersey, which makes these states certain
for the Democracy, and they observe also
that New Hampshire is likely to break away
from the Republican column, and that the
Germans and the German press threaten to
sweep the states of Ohio, Illinois and Wiseon-
sin against the Republican nominees.
This will be the result if the Democratic
convention act wisely As we have hereto
fore said, to accomplish this the candidates
must be tried men-men of experience and
ability, with clean records, whose public
careers will give assurance to the country that
the thieves and plunderers who have been
robbing the government will be turned out
and brought to justice; that the government
will be purified, and that economy and hon
esty will prevail in every department.
The restoration of the public service to its
former purity is the issue of the times. 1t is
the paramount one, before which all others
are as nothing. That is the first thing to be
done. Mr.. Blaine stands for the opposite OF
this. His public career would indicate that
no improvement can be hoped for under his
administration. His nomination was engi-
neered and brought about by the very class
that have been fattening at the public crib in
defiance of law and decency. His chief snp-
porters are the star-routers, jobbers and mo-
nopolists, who are looking forward to another
season of prosperity.
Present indications are that the Democratic
convention will not err next week at Chicago.
Z The nomination of good men seems certain.
Cleveland has the lead Of others, since Mr..
Tilden has withdrawn, and he viii in all
probability be chosen. Should he be nomi-
mated his election would be tidal wave affair.
He would be acceptable to the entire Demo
cracit party and would draw SO largely from
s4he Independents that his majority would
ma, Nss-sscedented since the early days Of the
lie tunes oer Cleveland, Mr. Bayard