Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-01-03

w nlSS In 1O4U carried General darr1-
son into the Presidency with a swoop
that was as surprising to themselves
as to their amazed and bewildered adj
versaries.
And curiously enough the party that
performed this feat was only four
years old. It had no principles and
made no pretensions to any, save OPP
position to the administration of the
day. It's candidate was seventy years
old and had no especial qualifications
or claims for the Office. 1t was simply
a sort of fright and spasmodic reac-
ton of the people, following the severe
panic of 1887, which was supposed to
have been brought about by Jackson's
warfare upon the United States Bank
and Van Buren's fidelity to his prede-
cessor's policy. About the only logic
in the whole Wing craze is expressed
in the familiar party lines:
Farewell, dear Van,
You're not our man;
To guide ship :
Well try old Tip:
or in those still sillier ones:
For Tippecanoe and Tyler, too-Tippecanoe
and Tyler, too;
And with them we'll beat little Van, Van
Van is a used up man;
And with them we'll beat little Van.
But the hollow craze of Whiggery
subsidized almost as quickly as it came.
In 1874 the Democracy reunited under
James K. Polk, the first clark horse''
in American politics. Once more the
Wing party lifted it's head in 184S, and
elected Zachary Taylor, after which it
vanished forever. From 1852 to 1860
the Democracy held the reins of
power. when the long-developing free
soil issue eliminated in the birth of
the Republican party.
In these great political changes the
mere election returns offer no in
telligent basis for determining the fort
unes of party. In 1886 the popular
vote for Van Buren, in the 26 States
that took part was 761. $40, as against
the combined Wing vote of 736, 656
Van Buren, had 10 electoral votes out
of 294. against four Wing competitors.
But only four years later Harrison's
popular vote nearly doubled, and the
entire Democratic combination got but
60 electoral votes out of the 294. Four
years later the scales tipped back
and then swing back again to Democ-
racy.
If the reader will examine the his
tory of these times he will see how
sensitive is the popular pulse to the
merest accidents of political admins
tration. Yet, on the whole, the average
vitality of the Democratic party has
remained constant for lightweight
years.
A more astonishing havoc in election
figures than the Harrison s'hard CIDER"
''log cabin" upheaval is seen in the
way in which Grant swept the board
in 1868 and 1872. In 1868 Horatio Sew
mour got but 80 electoral votes out of
81. in thirty-seven States, Grant
capturing solid Dem ocratic States right
and left In 1872 the slaughter was
still more terrific, and the entire COM
bination of Hendricks, Brown, Gree
ley. jenkins and Davis pitted against
Grant only secured 63 electoral votes
against his 286. The Democracy only
got AZ electoral votes this trip; yet,
four years later, Samuel j. Tilden had
popular vote of 4,2S4.S 85, against |
4.0S3, $50 for Hayes. No honest man
need hesitate to say, too. that he had a |
majority OF the electoral college, and
was fairly elected President of the |
United States.
The real Democratic sentiment has |
been at its average pressure since Til |
den was cheated out of his seat. It |
has been merely some unforeseen ele- |
ment that decided the issue In the con-
test between Garfield and Hancock,
and of Cleveland against Harrison.
The real sentiment of the country is as |
strongly Democratic to-day, when !
given fair expression, as it was eighty |
eight years ago. whea jefferson |
founded the party. Democracy still |
stands for a certain line Of principles |
and tendencies in tree government |
which are bound to live and to tri- |
umph In the long run.
9 He who iippantly predicts that the
Democratic party will not revive for
twenty-five. fifty or one hundred years
can be none other than the insincere
charlatan. joker or " buffer No such |
hollow nonsense will ruff1e the faith of |
an intelligent Democrat, nor will it de-