The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-17

AS usual, democracy does not consist IN
al parts of The country. In an interview,
| Congressman William r. Morrison of Hi
nois, expresses confidence that the Demo-
cratic party will increase its majority in the
next Congress. This opinion is remarkable in
that it stands alone Prominent Democrats
all over the country have expressed grave
doubts Of the party being able to hold its own
in the next election, and for the best of rea-
sons 1t is useless to deny that there is wide
spread discomfort among Democrats over the
| way this administration has acted in its treat
ment Of the Democratic leaders in the several
States. 1t is recognized that the feeling of
dissatisfaction with the result of the first
Democratic administration in quarter of a
century will be hard to overcome. Then there
| are other resons why the election Of a Demo
cratic majority in the next Congress will be
| hard to achieve
The Louisville Courier-J Journal sounds the
| alarm and tries to point out some of the dan
gers the party is inviting, and in its latest is
sue loudly cries halt. cit is about time, +"
says Mr.. Watterson's organ, ''for the Demo-
cratic party to come to halt and examine
carefully the road ahead" The Courier
Journal then proceeds to show that the Dem
| ocratic party has not kept its pledges to the
people, and goes on to show in what matters.
| This, however, is no new thing, for it has
been characteristic of that party to dishonor
| its pledges. The Courier Journal reads the
nounces them for having voted for measures
they should have opposed, and having neglected
others they should have advocated. eff
the Democratic party is to restore constitu-
tional government to the people," il says, sit
should be about the work There has not
been an extravagant or an unconstitutional
measure before Congress this winter the pass
age of which could not have been defeated
by united Democratic opposition" The paper
then proceeds to particularize, and scores the
Democratic members for their several faults
in favoring various bills. Then the real source
of the Courier-Jo Journals distress is revealed in
bemoaning the fact that Democrats have not
come up as a man to the support of the Nor
rison bill. The dominant party, it walls,
"has presented no issue upon which either
party is willing to divide" This is true, but
| the Democratic partys timidity may be ex-
| cused on the ground that it never did present
an issue that did not have disastrous results
to the party and to the welfare of the country.
If the Louisville paper wants issues it must
ever look to the Republican party, as it is the
only one in this broad land with the ability
and the courage to make issues, and to blaze
new paths for the peoples highway. Say
what they may, the knowing ones of the Dem
ocratic party realize that the future of that
party is not assured. It would be considered
great triumph if it held its own in the COM
ing congressional elections. AS the Courier
Journal has so candidly admitted, the Demo
cratic party has done nothing for the good of
the people since it has been intrusted with
the management of the Nations affairs. 1t
will have to halt, sure enough, and make sure
of the road ahead.