The Red Cloud chief., 1884-05-17
From Gayety to Grief.

SOmewhere two a AGO the
Democrats were an exceedingly merry
set, and looked forward 20 their mag
n~ificent seventy-eight majority in the
House as q fair inkling of a tidal wave
that should sweep all before it in the
coming election of 1884. The merri-
ment has subsidized altogether, and the
Democratic minds are o SOberly re-
Elective and thoughtful. The two ablest
men in the party have concentrated
their thoughts upon the problem Of an
issue on which to conduct the CAM
paign. and have arrived at results
which have been given to the world
through the Chicago ~Iroquois Club. The
conclusions differ. and the difference
represents very fairly the state of mind
of the party. The wisdom of Bayard
sees in the Morrison bill the element of
popularity that can save the party. The
wisdom of Tilder sees the necessity of
avo ding the tariff issue at the present
time. 1t is the first time in the history
of parties in this country that the con-
fcsSedly lonTest-headel man of any OF
them has written an important public
letter on the situation just before the
battie, and made no commendatOry allu-
sion 10 the vital measure which the rep
re entative OF his party i'll Congress have
concOct Il as n campaign i>Sue.
The Democrats have always been di-
v.ded On the tariff. as they are now. but
have got on well enough because they
have not mad. the issue prominent.
But the time has come when they could
no longer subordinate it. The old SUBJ
IectS OF contest about currency, in
ternal improvement. notification, Sl:e
very, resumption of specie payments,
and the resolutions OF 'yS have all been
settled. Not one OF them is now con-
tested. and their subsistence below the
surface has left no oh ect above the
waste of waters but the tariff. NeceS-
sarily it became prominent. and the
only thing that Is prominent rs n busi-
ness question. To make the matter
worse. there was the palpable fact that
in the settlement of the great questions
above enumerated the Democrats lost
their case every time. They meet year
after year and quietly drop from their
platform one by onc the Old planks on
which they formerly sat and driftcd.
until it came to pass that acquiescence
in what the Republicans have done was
regarded as a chief merit. and they be-
gan to put on airs for having the virtue
Il accept and be grateful for the good
things their opponents have made them
swallow by sheer force agains, their Will.
On all the great measures before the
country in past years the Democrats
now know they We're wrong and have
been beaten. They give up all but free
trade. and are debating among them
be surrendered or fought for and kept
in the family as q cOSset for the amuse-
ment of the children and an oh ,ect OF
affection.
The struggle exc'tes commiseration.
The cry went up: '.For Gods sake
leave us somethingr" and BY the aid OF
five tender-hearted Republicans the
leaders protected their forlorn little
eve by Il majority of two VOTES. and
thus wiz be able to hear its p~laintivs
bleatinS Tor a few weeks longer. 1t is
sad thought ii at SO much effort has
been expended by a great organization
to prevent what they conceived was a
wrong policy from prevailing. 1t is
mOurnful to think of the number Of
prophets that have come to grief by re-
suits that have contradicted all their
representations. The letter writers
send out statements that Cox is q sad
man and no more laughs. 1t is natural.
How could he laugh when driven to
vote against protect nc the wool on the
back of the last Democratic sheep as
he was the otherday by party necessity?
Morrison is sad, too. and can not help
it. All Democrats are sad.
One of the writer's of the Chicago let
ters expressed his abiding faith that
would vet come to the res
cue of the Democratic rarty. Such
borders on the sublime, for it is 3
long time since Providence has shown
much inclination that way. JEFF Davis
exhibited no less faith in Providence,
and never gave up the lost cause until
he found his wife'S garments too short
to hide a pair of pronounced cavalry
boots; then faith died. and Providence
has not since been much counted on As
a support in the t~ribulatiOnS of Dcmoo-
acy.-Erchangs.