Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-11-24
A GRAND OLD PARTY.
From the New York Star.

frOm the New Ork star.
The experience Of defeat is
often as instructive, if not as
useful, as the achievement of
victory. The substantial loss
to the Democracy and to the
country through the failure to
elect Cleveland and Thurman
is not to be ignored; but it is
only one battle that has been
lost. not the whole war between
the two great American par
ties.
There are some who pre-
dicted that the election of the
Republican nominees of 1883
would mean disorganization of
the Democracy. Those pro-
phets Of evil were wrong. The
ranks have been closed up be-
fore the smoke of the conflict
has cleared away. and from
all parts of the country and
all clements Of the party there
come declarations Of deter
termination to 60 on with the
good fight in which we have
been so nearly victorious, with
out even hauling for a minute
to count our casualties.
The revenue reform mer-
chants Of New York speak
with the same voice as the con-
sentative Democratic organ
of Georgia, and, with but a
few relatively unimportant en-
ccptions, all the Democrats Of
the land echo the ringing an
nouncement of Governor Hill
that the fight Of 1883 must go
on until triumph is secured in
1892.
On no previous occasion Of
national rcpulsc has either the
Republican or Democratic
party exhibited a spiritso unit
ed, buoyant and loyal. No
Democrat is cast down. but
every one is determined that
from now until the next presi-
dental election there shall be
one unremitting effort toplacc
Democratic principles again
in the ascendcncy and to put
in office the men who are their
foremost opponents.
After the election of 1884
the Republicans had the con-
troll of the United States Sen
ate to depend on for the con-
tinued promotion Of their po-
litical ends. Moreover. they
left to the incoming Admins
tration the embarrassment Of
laws formed for the purpose
Of delaying'the complete trans
fer of executive power. They
relied, with reason, upon the
conscientious devotion of the
President elect to the'laws''of
the land, and, they were not
in a position OF contemplating
an entire loss Of the patronage
of the Federal Government.
They therefore had grounds Of
encouragement in the hour of
defeat which are not now as
sured to the Democracy. in
view Of the uncertainty about
the control of the House Of
Representatives in the Fifty
first Congress and the general
belief among Democrats that
political advantage will be the
standard of Republican action.
But the Democracy does not
need the encouragement upon
which the Republicans relied
four years ago; our party, with
or without responsible parti-
cipation in Federal affairs.
with or without the control of
any part of the United States
Offices, will continue to con-
tend against the Influences of
monopoly and corruption.
The Republican party is
often spoken of as The Grand
Old Party" Recently the
term has been used more fire.
quently in derision than in
earnest; but that is a great
party. recovering power after
four years of exclusion from
it, no one will deny.
But the Grand Old Party OF
the United States is the Dem
ocratic party, that fights as
vigorously in opposition as
when in power, that maintain
ed its integrity throughout the
rude trial of civil war. and that
is to-day more distinctly than
ever, the party Of Jefferson.
Jackson. Marcy, Wright and
Tilden. Defeat does not dis