Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-17
The Democratic FIXTURE.


sistency with which Joe Brown, of
Georgia, votes for protection in the Sem
ate. The Democracy of this gentleman
cannot be questioned any more than can
that of Samuel J. Randall and score of
other Democratic leaders Of almost equal
eminence. 1t has been generally con-
ceded that Gen. Winfield Scott Han
cock would have been elected President
in 1880 if it had not been for his cele- |
brated tariff letter. In 1875 there was a
strong leaning towards free trade in the
platform on which Mr.. Tilden was NOM
mated and really elected. OF course,
the real issue in that campaign was the
overshadowing one of reform as repre-
sented in the personality of Mr..
Tilden. who not only antagonized the
Robesons, Cresswells, Leets and Babcocks
of the corrupt Grant regime. but who had
overthrown the corrupt Tweed-Tam-
many Democratic ring of New York and
who, as Governor, had challenged and
obliterated the Canal cabal. In Mr..
Tilden's letter of acceptance he noted
very carefully, and expressed himself
very luminously, ON every feature OF the
St. Louis platform on which he was
nominated, except the tariff plank. As
to that delivery of his party he said not
one word. He was really decisively
elected, and it was necessary to devise
an Electoral Commission, and to steal
some nineteen electoral votes of the
Southern States to beat him, but he de-
clined to talk tariff. Hancock seemed
to have an easy thing of it till the poll
ticians got him to talking about the tariff.
In 1854 the Chicago platform on which
Mr.. Cleveland was nominated and
elected was supposed to have been
written by Mr.. Randall, against the
earnest efforts OF Mr.. Henry Watterson
and other free trade Democrats. In
1888, however, Mr.. Watterson got in his
work III fine style, and the result is not
entirely satisfactory to Democrats.
The Georgia Senator in his votes rep
resents rapidly growing tendency in
certain regions of the South, where
manufactures are developing, to look
upon moderate friendliness to the pro-
lection doctrine with favor. This ten
dency was shown very decisively in the
late Presidential election in Virginia, in
!, West Virginia and Tennessee. That the
robust and growing manufacturing in
, dustries of Alabama and Georgia will re-
& suit in more such developments there
cannot be doubt, or the altitude of
! such men as Senator Joe Brown counts
for nothing.
While Mr.. Henry Watterson and his
class were vigorously denouncing Mr..
Randall, the people of Georgia did not
seem to share this harsh sentiment to-
wards this distinguished Democrat. They
, invited him to deliver the oration at the
Atlanta Exposition. Mr.. Randall was the
man who had the notable honor of de-
feating the Force bill, which would have
! placed the people of the South at the
feet of an intolerant party which was for
getful of the spirit OF the American con-
stitution; and, after Mr.. Randall had
presided over the Atlanta Exposition,
, the people of Louisville, Mr.. Watterson' g
own city, invited the eminent Pennsyl-
. vanian to special honors, rendered to
him right under the nose of the Louis
vile Courier Journal and its versatile
and ordinarily amiable editor. Since
Henry Clay died there has been no in
stance of a more enthusiastic greeting
than was accorded to Samuel J. Randall
in Louisville.
There are a great many Democrats
: throughout the United States who donot
believe in ostracising such Democrats as
Randall and Brown, even to oblige Mr..
, Henry Watterson. In fact, there are a
great many Democrats who would be
willing to get rid of Mr.. Watterson, with
his wild, uncompromising rawlings, at
any price. Mr.. Cleveland would have
been triumphantly elected if Senator
German, of Maryland, instead of Henry
Watterson, had been allowed to draft
the resolutions of the st. Louis conven-
ton of last year, and this auspicious
event would have been even more
assured if Senator Gorman had been
made the chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, instead of Mr..
Calvin Brice, of happy memory.
As matter Of fact, the Democratic
party in 1888 was stronger than in 1884,
but it was not allowed to avail itself of
its strength. Mr.. Cleveland's message
of December year ago was a patriotic
and sagacious document, and the Mills
bill was perfect measure, but the raw
ings of men Of the Watterson-Vest school
were too widely circulated for Democratic
success. With David Bennett Hill for
President in 1892, with a re.adoption of
the platform upon which Mr.. Cleveland
was elected in 1884, even Illinois and
Ohio would swing into the Democratic
column, to saynothing of such essentially
Democratic States as New York and
Indiana.
JOE TooLE, the handsome Democratic
delegate from Montana, has made pow
erful argument for the admission of Mon
tana as State. If Montana should be
To- x,ohc k,,~,, 49, m.