The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-05-07
NEWSPAPER PARTY MAKING.
The Unremitting Tendency Of NeYspapers
to Evolve New Political Conditions.

paper lS ucNeT WHOLLY dUtHuOueU LII bHo
United States. In some journal. some
where between the Rio Grande and
Portland, there is always an article on
''The Future of PARTIES; or ON ''The
New Democracy; or one entitled '.Af-
ter Republicanism-What?" The un-
remitting tendency of newspapers to dis
cuss this subject has sprung from an
American fondness for intellectual |
speculation and from the availability of |
the matter as topic when news is |
scarce. Of late a new reason has arisen |
for resort to such discussion. There is |
a number of detached thinkers who |
have papers but who find themselves |
men without party. They are inclined |
to make new party to suit themselves
or to make over one of the existing
parties in their likeness. The Green
back party is not to their taste for
they are sane on finance. The Labor
party does not please them, for it has
so many men of enthusiasm and unin-
formed earnestness in it. The Pro-
hibition party is unsatisfactory to them
for the same reason, and because these
new creators or these persistent re-cre-
ators know good wine and delight to
treat themselves to generous living, as
an offset to acrid thinking. These gent
lemen:have tried to new make the Repub-
lican party, but failing to do SO, doubt
less out of the highest motives, they
left it. The Republican party was after
ward defeated. Whether it was defeated
because they left it or whether their
leaving it was only q coincidence, is
disputed. Probably the former is the
case. Anyway, they do not feel kindly
toward the Republican party. 1t does
not feel kindly toward them.
This is then the situation: A new
party or the articulation of these men
with the Democracy. They are first
discussing that which we have named
as the second alternative. The avidity
of the American mind for speculation,
the frequent dearth of news and the
partyless condition of these active and
suggestive gentlemen combine to rem
der their propositions for making the
Democratic party agreeable or tolerable
to them interesting. We have been inn
pressed with the peculiarly personal
character of their reflections. Their
| decreasing objection to the Democratic
party is owing to the fact that certain
kind of men are in it. Their increasing
favor toward the Democratic party is
| avowedly based on their belief that
| fewer men of the kind intimated are in
it, and that they are, as these detached
thinkers hope, inclined to leave it. 1t
is remarkable that this estimate of
| parties by groups of individuals should
occur. 1t was hardly ever indulged in
before by men who have really made
parties. Party makers in fact never re-
| garded the personnel of voters in the
United States but once. The native
American party described itself by its
name. Its name of itself showed what
men it excluded and antagonized. 1t
carried one State in one national cleo
ton. Its adherents have ever since
been magnifying the resources of per-
jury to establish the idea that they nev-
er belonged to it. All other party
makers or party renovators have here
tofore been very fond of all kinds of
voters, the more the better. They have
tried for votes with principles, isms or
reforms, preferring such as they thought
iIwould be likely to attract the largest
number of voters. The practice of de-
termining adhesion or opposition to a
party, by the fact of whether certain
kind of men support it or desert it, is
almost novel. 1t is modification OF
the old Know Nothing idea, as will be
seen, but it is q unique modification.
One of the organs of this movement
has set up theological and social test
for admission into the new party, should
one be founded. If not. the test will be
converted into condition on which the
detached thinkers may consent to join
the Democracy. The organ uses many
words, but what it means is this: ."The
new party, or the renewed Democracy
whichever be the result-will make
the membership of Irish Catholic citi
zens as difficult and few as possible: il
will try to drive them over into Repub.
licanism. That done, the intended re.
cruits will flock in and take then
places" The excuse for this is the be.
lief of the organ that when the de.
tached thinkers ''sidled up'' toward the
Democracy number of the voters tc
whom it objects, left 1t. The supersen'
lsitiveness which resents the fact now i:
! due to misconception of the cause
1t was the nomination of Blaine which
cost the Democracy some adherents
mot the opposition of these detached
thinkers to him. If they decline to fel.
lowship with the Democrats who may
|
compatrlots who did not go off, they
are very frank to say so, and they
should be very frankly answered.
The Democratic party is not swap
ping, expelling or soliciting voters. L
;. leaves the citizens free to settle his owl
personal relation to parties. 1t is {
party of Jeffersonian principles, pa
triotic policy and reform practice. Sucf
| oft ticfio cd 1tifh : hac
accounts will vote with it. Such G tt
zens as favor these excellent qualities
but who think they can in the long rnI
be attained by a party, other than thu
Democratic party, make mistake
Such citizens as are against the prin
ciples, policy and results of Democrac,
ought to vote against it, until they ge
more light or more morality into thei
politics. The Democratic party doe
l not regard the secession from CLEVELAND
referred to as representatively either q
l Catholic or an Irish detection. 1t wa
l principally, not solely, confined to tn,
$ membership of some secret societies
which have no antagonist so marked a
| the authorities of the Catholic Churcl
and no opponents more pronounce,
, than rational and well informe'
Irishmen in every land. The grea
r mass of worshiping, not nominal
Catholics determined their politica
Il course bv considerations just like thos
a operating with non-Catholic voters
r The great mass of Irish born or Iris
9 descended citizens of the United States
e having become Democrats on principle
e remained true to the principle and to it
candidates. Of the number who wen
| off the DrOnOrtiOn is very small com
d pared with those who remained true.
J, seems large however, when the fact
borne in mind of how small defectio
10 was necessary to hold balance {
g power in 1884. Beyond que ,tion, {
IL those who did go off not "a small frac
le ton did so under regretted excitemer