New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-02
THE ISSUES BETWEEN PARTIES.


THE ISSUES BETWEEN PARTIES.
Senator Sherman's strong speech at Ports
mouth. Ohio, follows close after the speech of
General Logan at Pittsburg in defining the
Republican appeal to the people this year.
While the Senator preached the tariff question
as the issue of most vital and urgent import
ance. he reviewed with great effectiveness the
financial conduct Of the administration, and
contrasted the pledges upon which the Demo
Gratis obtained power with the performances OF
President Cleveland and his Cabinet. The he
publicans of Ohio have an especial advantage,
also, in appealing to the people this year, by
reason of the infamous conduct of Democratic
managers and officials in that State, and the
frauds and crimes that were committed Ior inc
purpose of stealing the Scnatorship, ard are
still committed in order to save from prison
The makers Of forged returns. Within the past
few DAYS new disclosures Of horrible mlscon-
duct in the pcnitentiary have dccpcned public
indignation, and now it appears that attempts
have been made TO poison the witnesses 10
these brutalties and crimes. 1t would be
strange indeed if Republicans did not comment
strongly upon these dolngs OF Governor
Hoadlys "New Democracy" which came mo
power, like President Cleveland himself, with
profusc promises Of reform. In State as In
National Government the pfctcncc OF reform
has been found only cloak under which the
Democratic party tries to conceal It's rotten
ness and its evil purposes.
What has the Democratic party to reply
lis State Conventions in Connecticut and New
Jersey have Just been held, and have set forth
the claims of the party as shrcwdy as some OF
il, most adroit managers were able. No attempt
is made to clear up the antagonsm between
thc Presidents conduct and the professions
and promises made before his election.
vague endorsement of his Administration Is
the only answer his shrewdest supporters can
give. when it is shown that he has gone Tar
to make the very word "rcform stencil In
the nostrils and has repeatedly dlscgardcd
The pledges made before his election. not
merely by yielding to the clamor OF his party
in making thousands of changes not for the
public good, not merely in allowing the service
to he used for personal or partisan ends by
Cabinet officers who have no real sympathy
with the policy he promised to pursue, but also
in many clearly marked and wcll-cstabllShed
cases. bv the deliberate selection OF most I'M
scrupulous party trcksters to take the places vi
tried and worthy officials removed. and that'
too. in spite Of proof laid before him OF the
bad character or shameful unfitness OF many
Of these appointments. If it were possible
for Democratic managers to make any satslac-
torv defence on this matter, it is right to
assume that they would not leave the President
in the attitude Of a hypOcritc and pledge
breaker
II is not less significant that the Democratic
conventions have no defence to make on Vltai
questions of National policy. 1t is charged
that the party is hostile to protection % nome
industry, and language OF the PRESIDENT Is
quoted which discloscs that hostility. What
have the Democrats of Connecticut and New
Jersey to say The Connecticut Democrats
dodge by saying that they are IN favor o.
"a lust revision of the revenue laws but do
not saw what that means, and the Ncw-Jcrscy
Democrats. with an impudcncc so great that II
| becomes grotesquc, "cOngratulate the country
mon the success which has attended the efforts
| of the Democratic party to reduce The burdens
of taxation" AIe these New-Jcrsey Demo-
| Gratis ignorant that every bill to reduce TAXA
| lion. or even to modify methods or rates OIL
taxation. was defeated in Congress No SUCH
! reduction was made The only bill petcnd-
ing to reduce the burdens of taxation when
was offered by the Democratic Committee OF
WAYS and Means was the Morrison bill. which
not q Democrat of NewJcrscy dared to vote
for and not one of them would have chance
| of re-eloc ion had he supported such measure
The theory upon which Democratic mana
gers habtually act is that the people are so
ignorant or care so little about their Govern
mcnt that the most impudent assertions can nc
made with perfect safety, and no ACCUSATIONS
or prools of bad faith or misconduct ever need
notice 1t may be that they are right. When
Civil Service Rcformcrs solemnly approve the
President who made Higgins appointment clerk
and Obcrly chairman of the Civil Service Com
mission when members Of Congress who pre-
tend to favor protection endorse President
who labored to secure the passage Of the Nor
rson bill, against which those members volcd'
one is led 10 wonder whether any untruth or
deception is 50 palpable that these men would
think it unsafe.