New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-05
uUy m ~ nor JRUSTED.

| II Is not doubted that Democratic voters
earnestly desire public prosperity They nave
| interests In common with the whole country.
| Compniatvely few OF them expect or desire any
office. but there are three fatal difficulties 3
mnny nr them desire something clsp more than
they desire public prosperity many oi them
| believe that public prosperity IA to bn pfomolrd
lN measures aud pnlic,rs which nic irnll,
tUino,js and they trust incompetent of ~
worthy leaders,
rho latter ,iiliclltY artists IN pat from
twenty i0nr years ~ inexperienced Ia the
responsibility and labor OF government, Hat II
springs far more from CAUSES which are sure III
operation and lasting IN influence, The
crowded wards OF great cities do not elect states
men. The pot house demagogucs and the sharp
and knavish trickstcls have the advantage there,
in most cases. New York, brooklyn, Jersey CITY,
Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago-how many men
of frst-iate ability and standing have these
cities sent to Congress within the past twenty
years Here and there one such man has been
chosen by each party, but has either city ever
selected the wiscst and wOrlhirSt men OF clthcr
narty? This i not an accident. 1t Is an
almost inevitable result of the conditions of
CITY life which render the man OF superb
merit almost unknown to the great majority of
voters while the saloons ana the rings can
always concentrate a large vote for the NOM
nation OF election of favorite. Now the
maio,i;cs of the Democratic party at the North
come almost wholly from few large cities
and these cities therefore, have to elect its
leaders in Congress, if it is to have any leaders
there from the North On the other hand, the
southern States are controlled by men VINO
4 e . Il Cad id,
try, the commerce, and the progressive thought
Of the North, and even less sympathy than
knowledge The men chosen by that section
are incompetent, in the very nature OF things,
to direct legislation for the complicated inter
ests and the progressive civilization of the
Northern States. Yet they are, of necessity,
the controlling men Of the party. Many are
pure, and they are generally finItcal reaction
lists. Many are mere office seekers, who care
nothing for the means, or the consequences 70
the country, so long as the end to them is Office
and power.
II is the curse of the Democratic party that it
is and of necessity must be, dependent upon
such leadership in Congress. From this fact
in the main, springs the int0lcrablc incapacty
Of that party in legislation, its scnsccss
wrangles and its reckless and ccasclcss med
ding with business interests.
But bad leadership would not last if the body
of voters were governed by sound ideas. Or
This we have IN illustration i'll Philadelphia,
where industrial experience has convinced the
great body of Democratic voters that the policy
of protection is wise and necessary. There,
accordingly man Of real knowledge and some
regard for Northern interests comes forward
and Mr.. Randall finds that, by the utmost effort.
he can lead about onc-iifth of his party. The
great body of Democratic voters cling to the
old Democratic hcrcsics of free trade, simply
because they were Democratic in the days when
that party had power. So of State rights
notions, so of prcudices against National banks
and internal improvements; these are all mere
blind and obsolete preiudces inherited from
state of things long past Yet they control the
great body Of Democratic voters.
A more dangerous evil still is the passionate
and vindiciivc spirit which has come down to
us from uprootcd slavery aud defeated rebel
lion, aud which sways great many voters and
leaders, This spirit desires something osc
more than tho public prosperity. II would
with fierce joy vote down lirpublicnham, even
II II absolutely knew that tho consequence
would hp public calamity mud incarnlnhln pii-
ynin Distress, That Ia the spirit which nnoiis
Heed everything ~ u AlingAlc Tor the disruption
of tho Union, II lives to-day. aud rules Tho
Democratic party, aud II fights hayagoly aud
bindly for the overthrow of institutions aud
measures established by the loyal people of the
North, simply because they were 80 established.
TABULATED MALICE AND MENDACITY
On the 3Oth day of October, 1884, The Ne0-