The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-11

A sadly Organized Rapacity Seeking Offices
and pIuuder.

~0H $1,000
and Plumber.
washington Special to New York Herald.
what Is the matter with the Democratic
party your correspondent asked an old-fash.
loned Democrat, now out of Office, but who
watches affairs and movements with the eve Of
experience.
THE matter he replied, SIS that there is no
Democratic party. There Is a body of men in
CONGRESS calling themselves Democrats, and
there is an administration which has in il some
very true and capable Democrats. A party is an
organization TO effect certain purposes. to carry
out certain political policies. Dc you see any
such party heref If SO, you see more than l do
Look here'-and he took up from his library
table a book he had been ~reading-"Tve been
looking over 'Hammond's History of Political
Parties in New York" 1t is an instructive book
for men who take interest in politics. I fell
upon this passage yesterday, and marked it;n
and he read:
A honest and patriotic citizen will, from
conscientious motives, attach himself to that
party which he believes will pursue those meas
ures which In his judgment. are best calculated
to advance the prosperity, and happiness, and
most efectually preserve the liberty aad indie
%pendence of his country
THAT seems JUST, but measured in that way
can anybody see a Democratic party2 To be a
Democrat of the sort you find here, old DIR. Ham.
monds honest and patriotic citizen would have
to be both for and against an eighty cent silver
dollar; he would have to be both a high tariff
man and a free-trader; he would have to favor
great economy and liberal appropriations-in
fact, he would have to be a two-faced creature,
and even then he would be torn to pieces by his
party's disagreements.
But wait a moment, he added; II have not
finished that quotation from Hammond. The old
fellow goes on:
IF vested with the appointing power, itthere-
fore becomes his duty'-the duty of this honest
and patriotic citizen, You understanding con.
Ter once upon such men as will use the Influence
created by such office to increase and strengthen
that party, the ascendancy of which, in the opin-
ION or the person appointing, is identified with.
the best interests of the State. Hence. although
he ought not, under any circumstances, to APP
point incompetent or unworthy men to Office, yet
between worthy men of equal capacity, 1t is his
duty to select those who concur with him in opin-
ion as respects the measures best calculated to
advance the public good"
There was a twinkle in the old gentleman's
eyes as he closed the book, and he said: II had
a mind to copy that out and send it to Mr.. Cleve-
land. But l guess it's too late. He began wrong.
for he never asked the opinion of any man he
gave Office to. If the man called himself o
Democrat and had indorsers who called them
selves Democrats, he didn't stop to ask whether
the man concurred with him in opinion as re-
spects the measures best calculated to advance
the public good. He didn't care whether he was
a silver or anti-silver man, a protectionist or a
tariff reformer, a friend of economy or devoted
to large expenditures. Mr.. Cleveland is a we'll.
meaning man, but he has himself to blame that
he has just now rot a party behind him, but a
mob bowling at his heels. It was his main
business to make a party-a Democratic party.
He ought to have seen that the thing which now
calls itself a Democratic party, and which did
poorly even in the minority, would 60 to
pieces just as soon as it came into
power and was responsible for action. To
carry out a policy there must be men of like
opinions. There are men enough of the Presi-
dents opinions in the country. 1t was his duty
to hunt them out, to advertise for them, and to
say to them: You are Democrats; you / will
trust and call on to help me. Those who do not
believe as l do on public politics are not Demo
Gratis and / will have nothing to do with them
What, then. is in the future. as you look at
it9"
st is difficult to tell. The thing which calls
itself the Democratic party here is, as / see ii,
only a badly organized rapacity. 1t wants Office
and plumber. 1t will, in my belief. slough off its
honest and really Democratic members to 60 on
without them. 1t will use the poor President as
long as it can and throw him overheard when it,
has squeezed him dry. 1 hear it said that he has
his eyes fixed on a denomination; but he cannot
give the men who rule his party enough, nor
promise them enough, to persuade them to that.
They don't trust him, and, pray. has his course
made anything but hating and unerthusiastic
friends for him among men who believe in really
Democratic ~policies2"
Thus you have several mems opinions on the
situation here. Unluckily, men who speak so
freely do not allow their names to be used. But
these reports give you the utterances of real and
also Of important men.