The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-01
A QUESTION OF POLICIES.

A QUESTION OF POLICIES.
The New York Sun with one breath declares
that Republicans have no policy to put up
against the administration, and with the next
warns the President that he ''can go without
disaster nc further than the rest Of the party
is willing to CO." The first idea is meant as a
sop to the presidential Cerberus; the latter is
cuff deity administered. 1t is a little early
vet to say whether the Republican party has
policy to put up. The Republican policy of
the past is we'll understood. It is the same
to-day-no alteration of magnitude has been
made If Cleveland shall leave no dividing line,
and no issue for Republicans to make fight
over, it will be because he has come over to
Republican ideas, and abandoned the errors
and follies of the party to which he owes al
legiance. This reveals the significance Of the
Suns warning, that it will be dangerous for
him to 90 further in this direction than the
party is willing to follow. The gravamen of
the Suns warning is the Democratic dissatis
faction and restlessness everywhere. The
Presidents specious observance of the
ciyil-service rules and the enforced de-
lay in the ousting of officials to make
room for the faithful, has caused widespread
discomfort, as indicated by the Sun, and, if
there were not reasons for the hope that ''busi-
ness would soon proceed at a livelier rate,
there would be imminent danger of a rupture
cratic party. The accidental (O publication
of the s'confdential" circular sent out by
Postmaster general Villas has done much to
restore confidence in the ranks of the Demo
cratic party. Of necessity many must in the
end, be disappointed, for there are not places
enough to 60 around. But it will be compare
lively easy to still the tempest of discomfort
by pointing to the fact that the "rascals'
have all been deposed, and none but patriots
have been placed on guard When this con-
summation shall have been reached, the eds
aster' that the Sun sees impending over the
President will be averted. He must not go
further, even as blind, toward observing the
spirit of the civil-service rules There are
thousands of places that he can vacate, while
there are tens of thousands of Democrats who
are anxious to fill them. The Sun, speakingfor
the multitude behind it, wants no more delay,
no more foolishness.
AS for "a policy of opposition" it is
little early yet to formulate one.
The President and his party have
not yet settled on one Of admin
istration. Beyond the appointment of
federal officials, nothing has been done, moth
ing promised. Not a line of legislation has
been put on the statute books, and no ade-
quate idea of the policy Of the President and
the Democratic majority in the House can yet
be had That there will be a well-defned
policy of opposition there can be no doubt,
unless Mr.. Cleveland should come over to full
accord with Republican views, in which event
a policy of opposition would speedily develop
in the Democratic party, the danger Of which
the Sun is shrewd enough to realize. By the
time three years shall have elapsed the Demo
cratic President and his party will have very
long line to defend, portions of which, already
deployed, are dangerously weak. One thing
is certain at this early day: It will not be the
policy of the Republican party to represent
this country abroad by men who are famous
more for their former disloyalty than for any
present ability or fitness. 1t will not pirate
about conscientious respect for civil-service
rules while honoring such men as Higgins
Pillsbury, Chase Troup, to say nothing of
Manning, Montgomery and others.