Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-06-15
THE ISSUE WELCOMED.
New York Tribune.

New OK Tribune.
Most people give the Democratic
convention the credit it really de-
serves. It's unanimous nomination
of MIR. Cleveland means unreserved
acceptance Of the issue he has chOs-
en- to make. Its nomination OF Mr..
Thurman means glOrlfcatiOn of the
BOurbOnism which was nothing if
not hostile to protection. It's plat
form asserts many things that are
trivial or false. but earnestly and
even passionately argues one thing,
that duties for protection hinder
industry and rob consumers. If
that is not true, the platform is a
lie. If it is true, Mr. Cleveland is
rightly despot of his party, because
he has dared to force it to speak
the only truth it has in 1t.
Dictation, despotism, why should
any Democrat objectl Ifhis party
islnOta mere organized treason to the
rights and the welfare Of theNation,
if the ideas and purposes which
have ruled it for fifty years are not
false to all Americanism, the party
ought 10 thank God that at last it
has a leader able 10 lift it above its
own cOwardlce and falseness. Mr..
Cleveland had nominated himself,
he has nominated Mr.. Thurman, he
has dictated the platiorm-Mr.
Scott says, every line and word of
1t. The more he plays the despOt,
if his theories have merit. the more
the party will deserve Success
True, If the theories are false and
the purposes di,loyal, acceptance
of Cleveland means that sort of de-
feat from which a party never re-
covers. But the Democrat who be-
lieves his platform is lie is both
cOwardly and traitOrous in support.
ing It. Middle ground there is
none. The Democrat who believes
in the candidate who interprets the
platform can hold up bis head, for
the first time in forty years. and
boast that his manhood and his
partisanship are not at war.
Despotism in Democracy IS Of
evil omen. Only once before in
the life long history of the Demo.
cratic party has a Democratic Pres
ident been renOminated. That was
nearly forty years ago, and Mr..
Van Buren,, the New York trickster
Of that distant day, enslaved his
party by patronage as Reformer
Cleveland enslaves it now, Known
in history as the first President to
prostitute the appointing power to
the base purposes Of selfish greed
and ambition, he made fewer parti-
san removals and appointments
than RefOrmer Cleveland, and left
his party more real freedom. But
he bought with Office voters enough
to renOminate himself, and was the
worst beaten candidate the Demo
cratic party ever ran for the Pres-
dencv. 1t was his bad luck hat
in slave states the whites were
then free to vote as they pleased,
and eight of those states voted
against him. Mr.. Cleveland mas
no such freedom to fear.
Mr.. Humans nomination, like
many of President Ceveland's ap-
pointments, is an attempt to resur.
rect the departed. Beautiful in the
misty moonlight Of memory seems
TO Democrats the unyielding De
mocracy which fought against the
suppression of rebellion, the recon.
struction of the Union, the enfran.
of the colOred vote, and |
a gush of sentiment puts life into |
dry bones, as the party which
Mr.. Thurman now
dominates his red handkerchief
But sober politicians already begin
to reflect that Mr.. Thurman was
never as strong candidate IN Ohio
as HOadIy, who was beaten, or Al
len, who was beaten, and never
strong enough in any other state to
get a leading vote in convention
for the Presidency. The Demo.
cratic party was hunting for votes
in those days, with passionate anX.
ETY.. If Mr.. Humans name had
jeen worth a bare thousand votes
n Ohio or Indiana when those De-
.ober states are vital, wOnld he
nave been passed 10 silence?
Free trade and gushing sentl-
nent, against protection and prac.
ical prOsperity-the issue suits
They welcome a fight
hat has a meaning in it. Fighting
/ cOwardly and dishonest party,
which pretended to be one thing
n Kentucky and another in New
York, has been tireSome work. 1t
s a good thing that at last the
heory of free trade is to be tested ,
,efore the people, with tree wool !
s its first practical illustration ,
The honest belief that free wool Z
gill make wool manufacture pros :
'erous, clothing cheaper, and wool ;
more valuable can now be frankly
net. Honest, but absurd and n
ilse, it has filled the minds Of y
lrger men than Mr.. Cleveland, :
nd if 1t can win, next we shall !;
ave free pig iron, ore and coal, .
hat the miners and furnacemen y
lay prosper. 1t Is well for the !,
Duntry that the issue can be tried :
ow, while there are yet wool grow +
rs and wool spinners left to vote. =
he Oregon returns look as if the !,
rOwers had done their part with =,
ltelligence. Mr.. Cleveland will =
ear from the splnners, the min d"
IS and furnacemen a little later. "
------------s .~----