Los Angeles daily herald., 1884-11-06
Anummortal pr,uctvle,

The most interesting feature in
American politics is the splendid
fidelity with which the Democratic
masses, year in and year out, rally
around the men who are supposed to
represent Democratic principles. Not
withstanding the volume and atrocity
Of the misadventurcs, the fool per-
formances and the energetic incom-
potency OF the elegant gentlemen who
condescend to lead them, the Demo
cratic masses are still rs reliable as
the ebb and flow OF the tides of old
ocean. No errors of poorly selected
leaders, irresponsive to their trusts,
can daunt the ardor of the individual
Democrat. There has not been, in
the history of mankind, II more touch
ing chapter of devotion than that en-
bodied in the unfailing regularity
with which immense bodies of Amer
leans have rallied staunchly, when
the hope deferred has made the heart
sick, to the support of an organiza-
tion which had not a single tentacle
adhering to the teats of the ma
tional treasury. The Democrat
ic party has always, since it
surrendered the control of the gov
ernment, through dissension in its
ranks, in 1860, rallied itself, paid its
own campaign expenses and exhibit
ed front and courage which have
naturally extorted the admiration of
its opponents. There are features of
generosity in such career which
only the unreflecting can fail to dis
cern. Such record, of itself, com
mands the admiration of men who
are not besotted by devotion to vul-
CARRIED power.
In the years OF its privation and os-
tracism from office the Democratic
party has made superb record for
itself. For that portion of its chroni-
Gle which embraces the legislation
following the war it could not well
have been better. While the parti-
zans of the Democratic party did not
fill the offices, all the same, il they
did not mold the national legislation,
they restrained it. They made the
continuous existence OF satrapies in
the South impossible. They even inn
pressed the bulldog Grant with the
idea that there were popular and
democratic-republican impulses which
it would not do to disregard The at
titude OF energetic protest of the
Northern Democracy enforced the
taking OF the heel OF an INSCRIPTIONS
and prostituted Federal government
from the necks of the people of the
enslaved commonwealth south of
Mason and Dixon's line.
The Democratic party, besides, dur
ing this eventful era, rebuked the
corruption in the municipal govern
ment OF the metropolitan city of the
United States, which had grown to
tremendous proportions under a
malign union OF corrupt Democrats
and corrupt Republicans in the city
OF New York.
1t not only kept alive the American
idea inherited from the Fathers of the
Republic, but il made the tidal wave
Congress OF 1874 possible, with its
wonderful retrenchment OF $50 900, 900
a year secured by the splendid states
manship and patriotic services OF
Samuel J. Randall. Its advent to
even partial power, in one house OF
the national Legislature, was sig
nalized by the annihilation OF the
corrupt Congressional lobby, and by
the branding with infamy, and the
extrusion from power, of the Bel
knaps, the Robesons, and so on, ad
iiHnitHm, OF the wretchcs who had
made Grants Presidential regime the
synonym OF official corruption and
peculation. The curtailment of the
power OF the Democratic party by the
fraud OF lS76-77-thc result of the i'm
mortally infamous sto Judgment Of
an unconstitutional commission-was
signalized, during the administration
Of the fraudulent Hayes, by the birth
OF a new set of Federal spectators
known as the Star Route thieves.
Still, to the honor of this party,
which held none of the Federal Off
ces, the fact must be borne in mind
that its indignant and virile attitude
of protest, with its return to power in
the House OF Representatives, follow