New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-18
MR. R5YD1LDS 1LIERNATTvE.

MIR. RANDALLS ALIERNAIIFE.
Mr.. Randall speaks in letters Chained
hand and foot by obligations TO party, re-
minded by the fate of wilkins. Of Ohio, and
Sowden Of Pennsylvania, what may be his
own fate if he ressts the Presidential slave
driver, he can no longer declare, as he once
could, the policy which the Democratic party
must choose in order to escape defeat Its
course has beer marked out and fixed beyond
the possibility of change, in complete contempt
for Mr.. Randall and all Democrats who think
with him. 1t is nc longer possible for the
party to nominate anybody except Mr. Cleve-
land And Mr.. Cleveland has shown, not
merely by his message, but by his unsparng
warfare on Democrats who dissent from his
policy, that opposition to free trade is going TO
be treason to Democracy. 1t would be dis
LOYALTY to party now to say what Mr.. Randall
believes and knows regarding its prospect OF
success
Public and private advices from Washing
ton all agree in this, that the dictation OF inc
President is felt as it has not been IN any
matter of legislation for many years NO
Republican President has ever made any such
efforts to control the decision OF has party on
a question of public policy, by the use Oh
patronage and the veto power. President
Cleveland has made his policy the only pos
sible policy for his party, and now with per
feet logical consistency, he proceeds to treat
as traitors to the party those who fail to
| support that policy. A short time ago Federal
| office-holders in Ohio retired MIR. wilkins 10
private life. Mr.. Seney, another OHIO MEMBER
| consented to surrender his convictions and 10
| betray his constituents by submitting to the
| Presidents policy and he was spared to nlarch
| in chains at the chariot wheels Oh lhe
| conuueror Mr.. Sowden, of Pennsylvania, ala
not dare to submit, and his bill for public
building at Allentown was vetoed. Not many
such public foggings Of the mutinouS are
needed. Crawling on their knees, with slaviSh
fear. Democratic Representatives now make
| haste to give their adhesion to the President
policy who were reckoned not long ago among
| It's most resolute opponents.
As for the party the country will have to
decide. If Democratic manufacturers and
Democratic workingmen, because Of fondness
| for party, want to intrust the defence of their
industries to MIR. Cleveland and his free-trade
| advisers, they have votes and, unlike the lie
publicans Of the Southern States, are free TO
cast them rs they please. II the plunge over
the free-trade Niagara is to come, the sooner
| the better, for then the sooner will the people
of free States learn what awful folly 1t is 10
surrender the control of their industries to the
Solid South. If they can learn in no other
way than by suffering, then by suffering they
will have to learn. The Democratic party has
been kept alive by the votes OF million
| Democrats, who feel that protection is Just and
necessary. Deliberately at Mr.. Randalfs re-
| peated solicitation, they have voted year after
year to place in power party which they
knew was at bottom hostile TO their interests.
Not one tear would be shed, for him or Tor
them, if the victory they have done so much
| to gain means ruin for him and suffering Tor
them.
The passage of the Mills bill in the House
could be prevented, in spite of the President
dictaton and great power, if the people would
take the trouble to make themselves heard
and felt at once. If the measure goes through
that body there will be tremendous effort
to pass it without change in the Senate, on
the plea that any change involves great danger
| Of its defeat The same frantic greed for place
and personal favor which makes slaves OF sc
MANY members of the House. will be felt in
| the Senate also. There are Senators as hungry
as any Representatives, and as willing to
crook the pregnant hinges Of the knee that
thrift may follow fawning" The key Of the
situation is that Mr.. Cleveland is the only
Democrat who can be President for the next
four years. Democrats could endure and out
live four years in minority, upheld by const.t-
uents. But four years Of ostracism by Dem
ocratic President, and unsparing hostility from
his army of holders, they cannot outliye
Hence there is no longer any way but one
for Democrats to defend their industries
| They can make it known without delay that
they are determined to support Republican
candidates, if the Mills bill passes the House,
and such declaration by large number OF
them in the doubtful States would be effective
But it is not to be expected that men who
have paltered with their convictions for many
years, sustaining party which they knew to
be hostile to their interests, will in a few short
weeks muster the courage and the force to
arrest tendencies which have governed that
party for fifty years.