Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-08-19
Democratic Conventions and the
PreSident-Thc One Broad Issue
Before The PeOplc-Anti-Adm
frntiOn Democrats Untrue TO the

irntiOn Democrats Untrue TO the
Party.
To the editor of The Alexandria Gazette:
The reply Of T. J. to the communication
I had the honor to submit TO your readers
on the 9th inst. seems to invite a further
discussion of the question between lis, which
narrows itself down 10 this, Can nominal
ing conventon-or, for that matter. news
paper or all individual-now repudists the
Administration and properly cali Itself
democratic at all Is there any other real
issue before the people in the approaching
elections 10 the federal legislature but the
endorsement or condemnation of tho admin
istration of President Cleveland?
l maintain that there is not, and that
anti-Administration democrats in the ap
preaching contest must, if consistent, vote
the republican ticket or not vote at all.
In my last communication the emphatic
approval OF the Presidents course by
the convention of the Seventh Con-
gressional district Of Virginia, as we'll
as by the State conventions Of South
Carolina and of Kansas, was mentioned.
Since thenssour own 1st district has met and
done rs did the 7th, and State conventions
of Florida, Indiana, Texas, Georgia and
Tennessee have followed tho example of
Kansas and South Carolina. Yet, in the
face OF all this, within this present month
Of August, tho Washington correspondent
of the ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE undertakes
| to say that these bodies do not voice the
sentiments of the great body of the people,
and that one or two sorehead Congressional
conventions in Virginia and North Carolina
who refuse TO endorse Mr. Cleveland alone
do. In tho face Of all this, within this pres.
ent month of August, t. J. thinks he speaks
"for two thirds of the democratic voters Of
the United States" when he condemns the
leading principles of the Administration. l
give my grounds, gentlemen, for the convic-
ton that the democratic people of the coun.
Try believe in the President and approve
his policy-that is, l take them at their
word when in every State and nearly every
district convention they say so. You d..
clare they don't know their own minds, or
publish TO the world as theirs opinions
which they do not entertain.
The truth is that many Of the politicians,
to say nothing of some of the newspapers,
have let the people get ahead Of them. U.
S. Senator Harris, Of Tennessee, for instance,
while in Washington I'D not scruple harsh
~ " SIltiSSC tlO lCiOi LII pOIiCJ VI liC hu-
ministra!iou, to pronounce it hostile 10 party
interests, and to say his people disapproved
it. Yet scarcely had he gotten home when
democratic majority in q judicial election
greater by more than 3d. than the last,
disproyed all this, and a convention to
nominate candidate for Governor enthusi-
astically endorsed the President. Indiana,
as State, has been called ut least luke.
warm in support Of the Administration, and
her distinguished and popular Senator, Voor-
hees. if not hostile to it, has at last been
pronounced advocate of the spoils system,
and wanted every body to believe his people
| backed him. Yet scarcely had Senator
Voorhees, gotten home when the democracy
of his great State met in convention-more
than 1900 of them-and did just what Ten
nes5ee had done The Indianapolis Ncms,
an Independent paper, says of speech he
made before the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Voorhees, failed to touch the House till he
named Cleveland, and then ii stormcd"
There are plenty of side Issues in the i'm
pending campaign-sde issues and local is
sues. In Texas the Cutting case will enter,
or at least enliven, the canvass; in Maine,
Ihaps, the fisheries dispute. The silver
question, tariff reforms, prohibition and even
private pension claims and oleomargarine
will in certain quarters be prominent But
the broad leading issue is, and will continue,
as the Baltimore Sun happily states it: Has
President Cleveland's administration baen
wise, conservative and pat ,iotic, and has it
been attended by the reform and economies
so long promised the people as the sure re-
slit Of democratic ascendaucy ." And, as
the sans Journal continues, "If The next
House is democratic it will be because the
people approve as a whole the Cleveland
administration and wish TO sustain it,"
There is no middle ground now tenable.
We may as we'll face the truth ut once,
whether we like it or not The democratic
party, except ss led BY Cleveland, has no
principles, is not at one on a single leading
issue, and he's not the reinotest chance OF
retaining popular confidence. He is the
coming man, and his denomination in 1883,
from present indications, as certain rs was
that Of Grant in 1872.
In the words Of another: "1hc democratic
party mW lure either 10 come mp To thr hjM
gronnd taken By the President or snger defeai
al Me polls, simply because The President has
the peoWr 'riih him, and the people arr strong
rr in crny respect Than The politicians"
Aug. II. IT, N. B.