The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-01-04

the whole people for forty successive
years. But, to show how utterly UNI
forsocn is the destiny OF any party. the
Wings in Is 40 carried General Harri-
son into the Presidency with swoop
that was a. surprising TO themselves
as to their amazed and bcwildcred ad-
vcrsaries.
And curiously enough the party that
performed this feat was only four
years old. II had no principles and
made no pretcnsions TO any, save OPP
position to the administration Of the
day. Its 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 :
warfare upon the United States Bank
and Van Burcn'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 our ship,
Wen try old TIP.
or in those still siilier ones:
For Tippccanoe anu Tyler, too-Tppccanoe
and Tyler. too;
And with them Well beat little Van. Van
Van a used UP man;
And with them We II beat little Van.
But the hollow craze OF Nhiggery
subsidized almost ms quickly AZ it came.
In lSii the Democracy reunited under
james X. Polk. the first ozark horse
in American politics. pacc more the
Wing party lifted It's head in lsis. AMI
1 elected Zachary Taylor, after which (
vanished forever. From 1852 to 1860
The Democracy he'd the reins Of
power. when the long-devcloping free
soil issue eliminated in the birth Of
the Republican party.
In these great political changes the
mere election returns offer no in
tcligcnt busis for determining the fort
unes OF party In 1886 the popular
vote for Van Buren, in the Is States
that took part was 76l.5i9, as against
the combined Wing vote OF 136. $50.
Van Buren, had 10 electoral votes out
Of 29i. against four Wing competitors.
But only four years later Harrison ;
popular vote nearly doubled, and the
entire Democratic combination got but
GO electoral votes out OF the 29f. Four
years later the scales tipped back
again. only to be reversed once more
and then swing back again to Democ-
racy.
III the reader will examine the his
tory OF these times he will see how
sensitive Is the popular pulse TO the
mcrest 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 ''hard cider.
slog cabin" uphcaval is seen in the
way in which Grant swept the board
in 1863 and 1872 In 1868 Horatio Scy-
mour got but 80 electoral votes out OF
3l7, in thirty-seven States, Grant
capturing solid Democratic 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 2s6. The Democracy only
got AZ electoral votes this trip; yet,
four years later. Samuel j. Tilden had
popular vote Of 4,2S4. S8j, against
4033. $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 scat. II
has been merely some unforeseen elc-
mcnt that decided the issue In the con-
test between Garfield and Hancock,
and OF Cleveland against Harrison.
The real sentiment Of the country Is a.
strongly Democratic to-day. when
given fair expression, as II was eighty
eight years ago, when Jefferson
founded tho party. Democracy sill
stands for a certain line Of principles
and tendencies in ircc government
which are bound 10 live and TO tri
umph in the long run.
lie who ilippantly predicts that The
Democratic party will not revive fol
twenty-five. fifty or one hundred years
can be none other than the insinccrs
charatan. joker or "bluffcr" Nosuci
hollow nonsense will, rufflc the faith D
an intelligent Demo rat. nor will 1t Dc