New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-03
MP COYiS BEST JOKE.

The TRIBUNg's perennial candidate Tor
Speaker, Mr. Sunset Cox, discussing the iessonS
Of the CITY election in "1he North American
Review" for December, forgets his trumphs
as politician and remembers only his uaihlhs
as a diplomatist. If language was invented 10
conceal thought, his gift Of language Is re-
marl,able. Yet some ideas crop out ncverlhc-
,css The Constitutional Convention, he thiiiKs'
;s the Mace for the land rcforners; there tncy
can Air their theories without harm to the De,l-
ocratic party, and with assurance that inc
"bucohc" vote will reject any proposal 10 as
turb titles to land or the taxation Oh iahu
Then the Democratic party can plead Una. IL
has always believed in Government Vi su'c'-
" limited powers, and that II cannot DO ylhihs
the worllingmen want because the CONSTITUTION
cannot be altered. Had Mr.. Cox brought home
these "ways that are dark and tricks that arc
vail" from service as Minister to China instead
of Turkey it would not have been SO surpns-
ing.
The vote for Mr.. George seems strange to Mr..
Cox, and he admits that elf the labor vote re-
main compact, it bids fair to favor its enemy
rather than its friend. This is one OF the
WITNESSES of politics" OF course. Democracy
is called by Mr.. Cox the friend of labor, and
the Republican party, composed mainly oil Ia
boring men, is its enemy, which docs make the
labor party appear whimsical. If he is right,
wnv should Democratic laborcrs defeat the
party which Is their friend, and to which they
have given beautiful fidelity, and favor their
enemy, the Republican partyi What unspeak-
able dolts these laboring men must be, In the
estimation of the Sultans late guest.
j. l,n,, 20 OH blf
people who voted for Mr. George do not con-
slider the Democratic party as their friend.
They regard it as an agent whom they have
trusted with marvellous and long suffering
confidence, and who has robbed them with a
baseness unspcal1able. This is their view OF
the matter, and it seems probable that their
view rather than the one imported from Turkey
will govern their actions Having been cheated
and swindled by the Democratic party for many
years, and treated as voting cattle in this great
est of Democratic cities, they have concluded
to set UP for themselves, and have been de~
| nounced as Anarchists and enemies OF social
order and would-be robbers for doing so. MIR.
Cox cannot forget that his friend Mayor-elect
Hewitt, lifted up his voice in horror and DC
nunciation when he was discussing the wishes
of the Iaborers before the election. Nor can
il be pretended that Mr.. Hewitt did not speak
for the Democratic party. But Mr. Cox IN
dulges the hope that the workingmen Will
speedily discover that their propositions were
really shameful and horrible. as Mr.. Hewitt de-
clarcd, and that they will he led back to tho
Democratic fold by Mr.. George himself. The
ex-Minister is a noted jester. but the funniest
of all his jokes is this sugges ion that Mr.
George must be faithful TO his economic
| idea" namely free trade, and so must lead ms
adhcrehts back TO Democracy. II Mr. Cox
would read in Mr.. Georges latest book his
estimation of Democratic trickery on the tariff
question. he would get slightly different i'm
| preston. Fidelity to his economic idea Will
| not in hurry lead Mr. George TO help what he
calls Spurious free trade"