Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-13
THE REASONS FOR SILENCE.

THE REASONS FOR SILENCE.
The Democratic party has lost much of
its campaign strength in its present in
ability to assail an administration. 1t has
so long been trained to fault finding, and
its traditions all being those of the OBJ
structionist, it finds itself for the first time
in many years in novel attitude, and en-
gagged in by no means congenial task,
that of defending administration policy.
1t was so convinced by its own iteration that
the Republican party during its twenty
four years of stewardship had developed
into monstrous thief that it plunged
into the business of preferring charges in
1884 with fine frenzy 1t could lay no
specific allegations, however, and therefore
INDUCED in the "taking" cry, Examine
the books" And it is certain that great
many voters whose natural affiliations are
not with the Democracy did vote its
ticket in 1884 because they had been led,
by the opposition, to entertain a suspicion
that there was something wrong in the
national bookkeeping, and that during so
many years with one party ia power great
deal of thieviug had been covered up.
They reasoned that it would not do any
harm to give the Democracy the oppor-
tunity to drag out the skeletons it so
strenuously insisted occupied numerous
department closets. The Democracy went
into office the books were opened and
exported and not an instance of error or
deceit; of thievery or Justification devel-
oped but one-a Western Federal
officials account was short two cents-and
he was Democrat. This accounts for the
dead silence of the orators at the st. Louis
Convention concerning the Republican
rascality" they had promised in 1884
should exposed. 1t accounts for the
abandonment of the party cry, "Turn the
rascals out" 1t explains the absence from
theparty platform of any reference to the ex-
animation of the books notwithstanding the
rascally bookkeepers are about all "out."
1t was equally as discreet for the Conyen-
ton and its orators to refrain from exam
ination of the fiscal policy of the Admin
istration, and to ignore the rebuke even a
Democratic House of Representatives adj
mlnistered in interpreting the law of his
duty to the President, relative to the DUR
chase of the bonds of the United States.
The temporary Chairman of the Conven-
ton, Mr.. White, of California, was far
from happy in his charge that the effort of
the Democracy to effect revenue reform
had been uniformly thwarted by the Re-
publicans. He paid the intelligence of
the country the poor compliment of as
Stunning that men of ordinary observation
and reading do not know that the Repub-
hcan party has not yet been presented
with the opportunity to thwart the rev.
enue schemes of the Administration in
fact, the party of the latter has been unable
as yet to agree upon q revenue policy to
be set up for assault, though it has a
strong majority in the House, where all
measures touching the revenue must orig
mate. The chief spirit of the Committee
on Platform, and the brightest intelligence
upon 1t had no other answer to give to the
anxious inquiries of the silver men than
"Oh d-n silver" 1t is probable that
the silver men will not hasten to take the
advice Of Mr.. Watterson. The solitary
cause for rejoicing found by the Conyen-
ton orators was that the country has not,
during the administration of Mr.. CIeye-
land, gone to the dogs, and that by good
fortune we are at peace with the world.
There was no laudation INDUCED in by the
speakers over specific reform accomplished
by the Democracy in power 1t was dis
Greet to make no mention of the yigor
with which the Administration has pro-
NOTED civil service reform, and even more
wise to avoid all Interpretation of the
declaration of Mr.. Cleveland made in
1884 in his letter of acceptance:
When We consider the patronage of this
great once, the allurements of power the
temptation 10 regain public place once gained
and, more than all, the availability a party
hnds IN an incumbent whom a horde of office
hoideTs with zeal born of benefits received,
ana lostered by the hope of favors yet to come
stand ready to aid with money and trained DO
1ltcal service, We recognize in the eligibility of
the resident for reelection most serious
danger 10 that calm, deliberate and intellectual
political action which must characterize a Gov
eminent by the people.