The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-15
TIE MILESTONE OF DEMOCRACY,

The Democratic party will never succeed
until it learns to distrust itself. Mr.. Cleve-
land has learned this lesson, but that is not
enough. He has advertised his distrust Of
the party ever since his election, but the
leaders do not seem to profit by the hint, and
are constantly thrusting the party upon him,
the only test Of merit being Democracy. So
frequent have scandals developed in the ap-
pointments made by the President upon the
advice Of "the party" that it begins to appear
that an attempt has been made to put forward
men that are mentally and morally unfit for
public trusts. This will continue just SO long
as Democracy fails to realize that Democracy
is made up largely of the hummer element,
of men who are politicians for the money
there is in politics, and of the ignorant and
vicious. Of course, there are many honorable
exceptions, and there are Democrats who are
mon Of culture and strictest probity. But
such latter cannot but realize that the party
is fioated by the basest elements Of society,
justice, and men not in sympathy with Amer
lean institutions and the genius of our Re-
public Out of this mass of vicious material
comes the loudest demand for recognition"
Struggling for years for some place that their
individual merit cannot carry them, they de-
mand that the party shall now requite them
by appointing them to Office Ernboldened
by years of encouragement at the hands Of
able men who have used them in past cleo
TONS this barbarian horde now sweeps down
upon the harvest fields open to them for the
first time in generation. Foremost in the
''sweetened' saloons and '"fxed" primaries,
the men who have stuffed and have stolen
ballot-boxes whenever necessity required, the
shoulder hitters and bribers, the thieves and
ex-convicts. For years the party has leaned
on them, and patted them on the back in
every questionable undertaking. They now
propose to lean on the party, and they are
leaning hard. Democratic congressman and
Legislators dare not 60 back on them, since
they hold in their hands the political lives of
those who have enjoyed official preferment.
Hence it is that few, if any of them fail to
get Endorsement, and this explains why the
President is so often scandalized by appoint
ing men of VIGOROUSLY bad characters.
The only hope of the Democratic party is
in committing political suicide and trusting
in resurrection after these men shall have
sloughed off. The President has already at
tempted to kill his Democracy as the only
way of saving his administration from infamy
But in doing this, as might have been ex-
pected, he has but half succeeded, and has won
for himself the contempt of such Republicans
as he hoped to capture and the displeasure
Of every disappointed Democrat. His
disgust at the way his party has treat
ed him in the business of recommend
ing disreputable men for appointment
has been repeatedly expressed. But what is
the party to doc For generations it has sold
its honor to its camp-followers and has bought
the canaille with promises to pay out of the
first-fruits of victory. The victory has at last
been achieved and the spoils are at the party's
disposal. The rabble now comes forward
and demands its pay. They make congress
men their solicitors, we'll knowing that they
dare not refuse the request. Many Demo
cratic congressman and legislator owes his
them is to go at once into political obscurity
The occasion is the Democratic bummers'
jubilee. In this way the Democratic party
has unconsciously been preparing the way for
suicide. It's honor (heaven save the markO
might be saved by beating off these disrepu-
tables, but in that case Democracy would not
be Democracy and it would die for want of
support IT, On the other hand, it seeks to
placate this element Democracy will die of
want of principle. Which horn of the di-
lemma will be taken is not yet apparent The
President inclines to the experiment of break
ing the ancient allegiance to ignorance and vice,
while the great body of Democratic officials,
rightly dreading to offend their immediate
constituents, favor cutting the throat of civil
service reform, and going back to the good old
Democratic doctrine 'To the victors belong
the spoils." Democracy is doomed. Re-
formed, it ceases to be Democracy and
hope to play the confidence game on the
people second time.
WHEN Rev. DR.. Leonard, the Prohibition
candidate for Governor of Ohio, went behind
the bushes at camp-meeting and drank stock