The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-12-13
A Look Into the Future.


Democratic majority is dwindling
away and disappearing. They do so
as warning to the managers who
have heretofore ruled the party with
an iron hand, that limit to the pa
thence of the voters may be reached.
The Evening NetCS in a recent edito-
rial tells the "poiitical bosses who for
many years have been controlling the
affairs of the party" that they have
been "deluding themselves with the
belief that the sentiment of our peO-
pie was so overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic that nothing they could do,
however bad. could induce the peO-
pie to turn the city over to the Re
publicans." 1t then gives facts
which it thinks should 90 far to "un
deceive these gentlemen" 1t cites
the recent Reform movements, in
which the Democracy receive unde-
niable rebuke.
But while this may be measurabIy
true, it is only part of the larger
truth that the Democratic party is
dwindling in nearly all the strong
Democratic states. The reply that
the Republican majorities in strong
Republican states is also declining, if
true, does not help the Democracy
in Maryland. If it could be shown
that Republican majorities in New
York and Ohio have decreased. it
would not make the hold of the Dem.
Ocrats on the state of Maryland a
whit more secure. On "off years"
the Democrats have twice received
warnings, and even in this presiden-
tial year its majority went off some
five thousand votes.
Many of the issues between the
Republican and the Democratic par
ties are dead, and the platforms of
the two have in recent years grown
much alike. This has happened in
every case by the adoption by Dem
ocrats of the ideas that the Republic
can party had carried out, and which
were then accepted by the Democrats
as final. The Democrats have grad
ually accepted and adopted war re-
suits, and the reconstruction, consti-
tutiOnal amendments and the full
faith with public creditors. They
have abandoned their rag baby"
and their "silver craze" Then the
Democrats. though not quite up to
the Republican standard of ideas, are
better than they were. The fact re-
mains, however, that the platforms
of the two parties are so nearly alike
that they do not offer strong obsta-
Gle to change of sides. Thus it is
true that in the late election there
were many Democrats who voted for
the Republican candidates and many
Republicans who voted with the
Democrats.
In Maryland the changes of this
sort strengthen the Republicans.
There is strong high tariff flank of
the Democratic party represented by
Mr.. Findlay, Mr.. German and others.
They are nearer to the Republicans
than they are to Watterson and
Hurd. There are civil service reform
Democrats here who have no sym
pathy with the broom brigade. Thus,
upon the questions of principle the
Republican party is entitled to gains
in Maryland, and it gets them even
in a presidential year. when discon.
tent with Democratic managers had
nothing to do with Democratic los
ses.
| But if superadded to the losses of
the Democracy in Maryland upon
matters of principle, there are to be
losses upon matters of discipline, then
indeed. there is reason for Democrat
ic uneasiness. In former years party
men have said: "We can't afford to
split the party when presidential
election is coming on" But now
that is over, men will be less patient
with bad nominations made by "boss
rule" Some of the Democrats did
not hesitate to "split the party" a
year ago, larger number now will
perhaps be ready To bolt bad nomi-
nations.
The Republicans, on the other
hand, will hereafter be freed from
some of the disadvantages of former
management, and will be better
able tC put nominations in the field
that will command non-partisan sup
port. There is growing feeling
that change Is needed in our gov
eminent, both state and municipal
Bdlto. american.