National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-23
ROCKS PITFALLS.
THE PARTY OF FALSE PRETENsEs IN A
VERY BAD WAY.
A Gloomy Wow from Democratic Stand.
point omorsllzed and Distracted by In
ternal Dlssensions-- DisheArtening Reports
from all Quarters.

point DomOrhlheu ana DAtraCtod ny In-
ternal Discussions -DisheArtening Reports
from all Quarters.
A woll-informed correspondent writos
from Washington to tho Now York Sun,
the leading democratic newspaper OF tho
Unitod Statos, giving on inside picture Of
the slough of Generalization in which
the democratic party Is now wallowing
in abject holplessness. Tho letter is
good ono and Is reproduced in full, as
follows;
The men who are managing the demo-
cratic canvass agreed some time ago that
IL wou Id BIO bost TO have short canvass,
and to cram into few weeks tho work
that usually extends through two or
three months. Circumstances, however,
may compel the committee to do the
active work of the canvass almost i'm
modiately. In spite of the enthusiastic
assertions to the contrary, tho committee
Is not receiving encouraging reports.
Tho indifference that followed tho nomi-
nation of Cleveland in many soLtions
whore IL was believed the ticket would
bo received with some enthusiasm
threatens to become open disafiection.
Tho committee is surprised and somewhat
alarmed. MT Is needful that something
be done, and that right away, to check
this threatened Generalization, II it docs
not got SO strong as to be uncomfortable.
Some of tho delegates to tho Chicago
convention who voted for Cleveland
have already expressed doubts about
tho wisdom of the nomination.
They have done so because
they have had opportunity to see the in
difference and disaifoction that exist
Aside from tho fact that n dangerous do
lection Is certain in Now York city, and
that tho support of Tammsny will be at
best perfunctory, word comes from Con-
necticut. New Jersey, Wost Virginia, and
Ohio that proves that time is aggravating
rather than healing the strouble. What
the committee can do to check 1t Is very
serious problem. 1t is very embarrassing
for tho managers to be told, as they have
been over and over again. that there are
many democrats who regard defeat as
better than victory, because they belive
that II Cleveland is elected he will BIO
under such obligations to independent
republicans and Blaine boilers that no
will BIO obliged to recognize them, thus
surely bringing on decentralization in the
party. 1t has been no unusual thing to
hear democrats say that tho democratic
party under its present organization is
moribund, that If defeated its last day
has como, and that IL successful under
Cleveland, 1t will only have brief re-
prievo. Such embarrassments, when so
pronounced as they are at present, mako
the work Of conducting canvass very
difficult, and require the best kind of
political skill to overcome thcm, If they
| ha nj =
mittee realize that 1t will not do
to waita day, and now that Mr.. Cleve-
lands letter il made public active,
though perhaps not very public, can
wasting will begin. The most vigorous
measure will be taken to counterfeit the
tendency that is no longer denied of
many who have heretofore voted the
democratic ticket to go to Butler. The
generals record has been scanned, almost
every jot and title of il, and an effort
made to show that he is not democrat,
and never has been one since he quilted
the party in 1861. Some embarrassment
will be met in making this attempt, for
tho committee will DO Obliged to dofne
what democrat Is; and while nobody
has ever accused Gen. Butler of being in
any foggy state of mind about the mean
ing of Jeffersonian democracy, there has
always existed suspicion here that som 0
of the statesmen In congress have lad n
misty, IL not elastic, idea of.the significance
of the term. Mr.. Morrison, Mr.. Carlisle
Frank Hurd, for instance, insist that free
trade is one of tho cardinal principles of
true democracy, and in spite of all the
pleadings and circumstances of tho com
mittee, they insist on preaching that
doctrine in their sections of tho
country.
When we are reminded of those extra
ordinary embarrassments under which
the national committee labors, it does not
seem possible that they could have arisen
within less than year.
"Did we reach the climax of our mis-
fortunes of tho past ten months whom we
nominated ClevelandW asked o south
western democrat who stopped over in
Washington for day or two on his way
to New York.
If the experience of the ton months
Just past showed anything 1t was that the
party required above all things brainy
honest, courageous. and experienced lead
or for it is useless to disguise tho truth
and deny that when tho convention mot
tho party organization was in q critical
state, and that there were open threats OF
bolts unless some things were done by the
convention and others left undone If
for instance something like the Ohio
tariff plank had been adopted by the con
vcntion, it Is an open secret that boil
would have followed.
Those who were in Washington, las
November remember woli with what en-
thusiasm tho democratic representative
in congress came to this city. The party
everywhere was reputed to BIO full of en-
orgy and hope. The conviction was gen
eral, and shared by the republican mi
hot Al OF ia nh r.
to be oyerthrown, and that tho nominee
of the democratic convention would b.
, the next president. The democrats con
! trolled the delegations from twenty-fou
states; and ia two-thirds of the states tn,
, party had been successful in elccting III
, candidate for governor; tho party organ
ration everywhere was reported by thes
incoming congressman to be in splendit
} shape, and nowhere did any interna
differences and distractions exist, TIL
} older politicians of both parties agreed II
; admitting that never before on the thresh
, old of a national election did the condi
: ton Of party give such promise TO
, success. Mr.. Randall, who knew some
/ thing of tho shoals and rocks that nigh
bs encountered in the approaching sos
4 sion, insisted that tho house should ma
, out policy that would result in n shor
, meeting of congress, and that after tn
/ passage of the appropriation bills and tn
5 enactment ofsOme other necessary legisla
r tion. it should adjourn. With record sue
: rs Mr.. Randall believed the domocrati
' house might make, aud with an accepta
, BILE nominee for president, MIR. Randall
was convinced, as were all democrat
whose opinion was worth anything, tina
the election of democratic presiden
could not be prevented. The republI
cans, notwithstanding thoir discipline
N were gloomy. The shrewd Tom Reed, I
I be sure, whistled little to keep up hi
own courage and that of his party, an
/, assorted that the democratic majority |
% tho lower house was so big Us to DO sur
+ to bring trouble What was ut first b(
10 | ito,,.l ~, lao A friantIu onnyaaa far tl