The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-29
The Dcmagogic Methods OF Making
Political Capital.

Samuel j. Tilden has written a letter
which aptly presents the poetic aspect
OF Democracy. He appears TO think the
people of this country have had 10
realistic experience o. the true nature
of Democracy, and can be made TO
draw their impressions OF it from care
full perusal of the lives of the praying
Puritan, Samuel Adams, and other gem
tlemeE who have been dead longer
than Iilden has been alive. lie says;
The Democratic party, moro rcadi y tnan
the RepuhllCnl party. can Jc mo Il d 10 tle
support OF rcfOrH measures which Involve u
sacrifice OF selfish interests.
Can they, indeed! Does Mr. Tilden
suppose there is single man, woman
or child in America who doubts that the
very pith and marrow of the Demo
cratic party consists, and has for Fifty
years consisted, Of the abuses that need
reforming, such as slavery, ,negrophobia,
rum-selling, gambling, swindlng,
polygamy, and rebellions, riots, rows
and controversies got up in the inter.
est OF these-in all of which the Demo.
cratic party always takes its stand on
the side Of the abuses, vices and crimes
Of the sensual and swindling class, and
defends them in the name of State
rights or personal liberyP
Without exception the men who are
running the Democratic party to-day
consist OF those who do so either in the
interests OF slavery founded on color, OF
OF freely subjecting American labor TO
competition with foreign labor so as to
force down wages, or Of free liquor, or
free vice OF some kind. Mr.. Tilden's
taunt that the Democratic party consists
largely OF those who work with their
hands, while the Republican party Is as
largely made up of tho who live by
their wits, is the demagogue's mode Of
making capital out Of poverty and man
ulacturing credit out OF incapacity. No
Democrat ''works by his hands, who
knows enough to 'live by his wits" II
with any sense or dignity such catch
phrases of the silly and superficial can
be applied to the processes Of industry.
II by "living by his wits" Mr.. Tilden
means assuming intellectual control of
the enterprises on which the wage
working class depend for wages, then
il is probably true that in the Northern
States the Republican party includes
larger share Of those who put up the
capital and direct the industries in
which labor is employed, while tho
Democratic party includes a smaller
number than the Republican party OF
those who employ labor and give direc-
tion to industry. But one reason OF
this Is because So many Democrats who
have the means TO give direction TO in
dustry prefer to give direction chiefly
TO idleness and vice by selecting those
kinds OF business, liquor-selling, bunko-
steering, importing women for .polyg.
amous harems, and the like, in any OF
which trades a Republican is as rare as
white blackbird.
The men who follow any Of these
occupations live rather by their brutal.
ity or animality than by their wits,
but, as a rule, they have been Demo
Gratis only.
But man who, like Mr.. Tilden, be-
comes worth ten millions by loaning
English money on American railways
and then foreclosing the securities and
buying In the roads, may be said 10
live by his wits. II Is noticeable, there
fore, that while the rank and file Of the
Democratic party as Of all other par
ties, must consist Of those who work
with their hands, their candidates for
office are confined TO those who "live
by their wits"
We shall not attempt TO discuss with
Mr.. Tilden the economic question
whether the captains Of industry, who,
by their enterprise, study, courage
and capital become successful employ
ers OF labor, are less useful, personally
and individually, than the like number
Of the laborers who depend on their
enterprise, capital and "wits" for
their wages. While it may DO true
that the Republican party may not in.
clude as large proportion Of the alb
iectly poor rs are included in the
Democratic party, II will still devolve
on Mr.. Tilden TO prove that incapacity
TO overcome the obstacles in the way
Of a successful struggle for existence
can be deemed TO be the distinguished
marhof party that Is likely to intro
duce great reforms. To assume that
IL could would be to base statesman
ship on incapacity as its primary quail
ity, and to declare that the ability to
rule the world Is largest in those who
are incapable Of caring for themselves.
'-Cticago Inter Ocean.