The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-04-09
The Great BIunderer.

| OF fdespondency with respectto the COM
ing election cropping out from time to
| yiine in the Democratic journals. And
they all refer in some shape to the
facility OF Their party in laundering. 1t
is pretty universally admitted that II it
had not been for blunders the Democ-
racy would have gained the Presidency
before this. But the 'if' in the case is
tremendous one. There are very few
failures of any description which may
not be attributed to blunders of some
kind. 1t may be admitted, however,
that the Democracy are peculiarly af-
ilicted with a tendency to blunder; that
they are subjected TO it in way which
calls for commseration. 1t is their
misfortune. The only error in the
premises lies in the assumption that il
IS possible for them to avoid laundering.
The New York World talks about the
mistakes of the Democrats when they
have hitherto had control OF the House
of Representatives and which proved
fatal,to them in the Presidential cam
paigns, as events which were entirely
unexpected and preventible, and it now
laments that they have frittered away
nearly three months of the present Con-
gressional term without doing anything
to inspire popular confidence. 1t com.
plains that some of them "bave been
irving to frame Tariff bill which can
not possibly pass" and that they are
making a muddle of it generally. Al
though this testimony comes IRON a
Democratic source, it will be heartily
indorsed by obscrvant people irrespect-
i've of party.
Now, there is no salvation whatever
for the Democratic party, with regard
to laundering, except through literally
being born again. 1t can no more eS.
cape it than a boor can escape making
mistakes in polite company. Its very
constitution is hopelessly against it.
There are some members of it who are
Intelligent men with reasonably clear
conception of what civilized govern
ment ought to be, but even these differ
radically among themselves. And. in
addition to this, the majority of the
party is composed of ignorant and
pre- udiced elements. In order to hold
the whole together in any kind OF organ
lied coherent shape, different methods
of appeal must be adopted in different
sections of the country. Bus'ne oppo-
sitiOn must be allayed in the East by
the advocacy of sound money and pro-
tective principle; in the West the
pre- udice against banks and capital in
pretty much every shape must DO
catered to, and free trade sustained.
But perhaps all this could be managed
II the representatives in Congress, and
the press, could be placed under proper
discipline. II an Ignorant man can be
made TO keep his mouth shut he may
pass for wise one. But the Demo
cratic constituencies will persist in
sending men to Washington who can
not help creating CONSERVATION and dis
may among the really able members Of
the party. These men persist in ad.
dressing from their seats the voters who
elected them. In the intricate matter
Of the tariff and finance they tear around
like bull in q china shop and create a
frightful mass of broken crockery. And
they are In the majority and irrepressi-
BILE. Then again prominent point in
the Democratic platform is tho demand
for pure government, and all the while
tho party has not the slightest chance
Of success II It does not acknowledge
and sustain the Tammany crowd OF
criminals, gamblers, public plunderers
and ria-raf generally in its hold upon
Office In New York
How can party thus composed avoid
blundersP Whatever way it turns II
will blpnder in the estimation of some
large part Of itself. There is nothing
TO hold It together save the desire for
office, and the only element of outside
strength II has rests in the support Of
the people who want q change for the
sake Of change. To say that such a
party would not be defeated il 1t did
not blunder, is equivalent to saying tina,
1t would not be defeated IL 1t did not
exist. II Is one vast aggregation oi
blunders itself. 1t is mob OF individ.
ual blunderers, so TO speak, with here
and there an individual trying to shout
little sense in its ears. II groans
about taxation, the surplus, business
depression, the tariff and what not, but
II any one can point out single meth
cd OF treating any of these subjects
which can be called an item of party
policy the, country would be pleased TO
know what II is. The great and com.
prehensive Democratic blunder is that
the party Is endeavoring to gain control
Of the Administration without present.
ing any claim for 1t. Nobody knows
just what the party would do with the
Government after II had got 1t, beyond
turning out the Republicans and put
ting Democrats in Office, though the IT.
reslstible conclusion is on general prin-
ciples that It would keep on blundering.
A conviction of this truth keeps a great
many who tako little interest in politics
as rule. strong advocates of con,inu-
ing the Republicans in power. And
they reason very logically. BY their
own confession the Democrats have
been blundering steadily for a series Of
years; why should they be expected to
stop Immediately tfter winning VIC
tory?-St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The South has new terror In the
person Of tramp who steals children.
lie does not claim rewards, but seems |