Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-01
The Democratic Opportunity.

The Democratic chances of carrying the
state this fall were improved by the action
OF the Republicans yesterday. The party
of the people, of constitutional law and of
honest and economical government, need
not look around for decorated heroes of
their own laudation, who are wearied
with much office seeking. 1t will most
likely discover some plain, substantial
citizens, with the civic virtues of honesty.
intelligence and fidelity to the constitution,
wise in their knowledge of the supreme
law, fearless in the execution of it and no
time-serving converts to sound doctrines.
When found such will be put upon the
ticket.
There will be no trouble making a plain,
honest declaration of principles upon
the issues which most concern
the commonwealth. The Democratic con.
ventiOn will evade no issue; but it will not
shirk the grave questions of state politics,
now of supreme interest, and shift the bat
tie to federal issues, as the enemy invites.
The honesty of the state administration, the
execution of the laws, the integrity of the
pardon board, the raising and application
of the revenues, and regulation of our state
and local affairs are of first Importance.
Upon these both wings of the Democ-
racy will flap together" We see signs of
it everywhere. For instance the York
Age is vigorously for tariff reform, and
urges that the issue be unequivocally made
in the congressional districts. But it takes
no stock in the ridiculous scheme of some
of the so-called tariff reformers" to make
the question wedge with which to split
the Democratic party and defeat the state
ticket. 1t says
Don't let US as party, battling for the
| amelioration of labor and their liberation
from burdensOme and obnoxious tax,
which they are paying upon every article oi
daily consumption, fritter away our strength
| by engaging in a tariff conflict on the state
| ticket, particularly when such contest prom.
| ises no results and will lend no aid to the
| cause for which we are contending. State
officers don't make or revise tariffs nor adj
just revenues for the national gov
ernment and II would, therefore,
be worse than foolish, to run such officers
on radical tariff reform platform. +
Let us go into the. contest for state officers
without any entangling question OF federal
policy. Let the issue be solely upon the
question OF clean cut and pure admlnstra-
ton an enforcement of the constitution in
all its provisions a continuance of the re-
forms so auspiclOusly begun under Governor
Pattison, and We will win victory for the
people, the great conservative element of the
| people, will applaud such a platform and
support good ticket put up TO carry out
| such principles
The views of the Age will be the view OF
ninety-nine hundredths of the Democratic
party in this state. There will be no sym.
pathy with those, who, never in tue habit
of recognizing party ties, except when il
suits their own interest, would use tn,
tariff question to rend the state Democracy
The men who want to read one half, oI
one quarter, or one-tenth of their fellow
voters out of the Democratic party, will
find themselves very lonesome at the com
ing state convention.