The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-25
THE BEWILDERED DEMOCRAcY.

4uc DciuOCIdtiC party 40 UHoUiO " soy
whether it is afoot or on horseback. 1t sue
ceeded in carrying the election two years ago,
and for more than year has had control of
the administration, but to this hour it is not
certain for even Democrats to say whether it
has paid them or not. There was a great hur-
rah two years ago when Mr.. Cleveland was
elected, and there was general congratulation
among the faithful over the victory which
meant so much to the country. The good
times, so long looked forward to, were at hand,
and there was nothing too good to predict and
to promise as coming from the new admins
were to be incontinently turned out to
make room for the truly Democratic
hosts. Then the 4erobber" tariff was to be
thrown out the back door of the Capitol,
as so much rubbish disposed of at last. The
surplus in the Treasury was to be dissipated
in some way to the good of the people, and in
fact everything was to be done that should
have been done long ago, and would have
been done bat for the fact that the Demo.
cratic party could not get chance to attend
to it. Nearly sixteen months have now
elapsed since the Democratic President took
his seat and there certainly has been time
enough to demonstrate that something was to
be accomplished. A few of the "rascals"
have been disposed Of, and not few Demo
cratic rascals have been discovered among the
new appointees. The surplus, that was to be
so summarily disposed of, is still there, and
the Democrats have virtually confessed that
they do not know what to do about it, and
would like to have the help of some one to
tell them what to do. The 'robber"
tariff is just where they found it, and
a good many Democrats have insisted that it
must not be disturbed. The difference of
opinion on this point in the Democratic ranks
is very distressing to contemplate, and it is
hard to say what is to be done. Some of the
members of the great party of reform have
expressed themselves as being very unhappy,
and it is quite evident they are. Some of
them have already gone to the extremity of
advocating enforcement from those wicked
Democrats that stand up for insisting on the
American idea, while others, less continent,
insist that they shall be read out of the party
without the formality of enforcement OF
all the vast host Of Democratic '1xickers," and
their name is legion, not one, perhaps, is half
so unhappy as the Louisville Courier Journal,
which weeps necessarily and refuses to be
comforted In its last issue it says, anent the
fact that the Democratic party is now in
power:
"Has it cut down expenses to any consider
able extent?
HAS it to any degree improved the cur
rency2
"Has it done anything whatever to relieve
the industrial depressonf
vent the passage of an extravagant river and
harbor bills
Are the pension bills in danger because
the Democrats control the committed
''And, most important of all, has Demo
cratic victory lightened taxation at any point,
or diminished the annual surplus surplus
which is the one excuse for extravagant ap-
preparations and the cause of corrupt legisla.
tion2'
In conclusion the Courier Journal concludes
that cit was to all intents fruitless victory"
Not SO bad as that. we hope; for while the
Democratic party has done the country no
possible good, it is possible that the expert
ence of the party will teach it that it does not
national legislation. In the end, two years
hence, the Republican party will have to be
called in to administer on the estate and to
disentangle the affairs of government, just as
it had to be in 1860, when the government
was wrecked and looted by this same party of
economy and reform. The Courier-Journal
confesses that 'the promises of relief, held
out in our 1.-THE Democratic1 platform, have
not been kept" Indeed they have not, but
the Republicans are in no wise disappointed,
for the reason that they did not think for
moment that they would be kept. And the
G. j. further mourns because the hope of a
reduction of tax has died. IF any good has
come from the election of Democratic Pres
ident and Congress that paper is unable to
point it out, and hangs its head in mortfca-
ton that it is unable to conceal. 1t is the
saddest case of misplaced confidence ever wit
messed in this or any other country
THE Boston Herald's Washington CORE
spondent has had an interview with Eugene
Higgins. in which that worthy explains how