Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-30
A sPRIG6TLY LETTER.
NIr. George 3. Patton Presents Dem
Ocraric Views.

EDITORS HERALD-Allow me to thank
you for the courteous and complimentary
character of your editorial reply to my
letter, published on the 26th. l never
considered the remarks of the HERALD,
upon which 1 commented, as "ill
natured," or even indicative OF any un'
friendly sentiments toward the Demo
cratic President, but simply as the forci.
bly expressed views of its accomplished
editor-to whose sterling Democracy !
bear most cheerful witness-upon per-
fectly legitimate and proper subject Of
friendly discussion between fellow parti-
zans. With the views 30 ably expressed
in your editorial comments on my letter
l am still compelled to radically disa-
gree. 1t is q disagreement, however,
which in no degree detracts from the
high esteem, personal and political, in
which have held the HERALD and its
editor. At the risk of trespassing on
your good nature, 1 ask your indulgence
to permit me to state in your columns, as
briefly as possible, my views of the fun
damental difference of opinion enter
tained by many Democrats upon the SUBJ
ject under discussion. l do this the
more readily because believe that the
inter-election periods unhappily too
brief-afford the best, if not the only, op-
portunity for cool and profitable political
discussion, ard that. among Democrats,
at least, such discussion can be bad
without any loss of mutual respect and
confidence.
The expression in your editorial,
which think marks the initial point of
divergence in our views is this: "Of
course if politics is to be mere play of
sentiment, success at the polls amounts
to nothing"
A political party as I understand it is,
theoretically at least, an aggregation OF
individuals holding the same or similar
ideas or sentiments" of government.
Properly speaking, then, the purpose for
which they exist, and the object for
which they contend is the success of
these views or Sentiments" and in
that view your definition is strictly cor
rect; and politics primarily is ''mere
play of sentiment" 1t is also true that
oftentimes this sentiment involves the
material and direct interest of the whole
people and it's success or defeat means
tu0 veal VI tu0 WO0 Va COuhtiOoS bAOub-
ands. l do not deny that incidental"
to this primary object Gust as proper
protection" is incidental to moderate
tariff is the possession and control of
the administrative Offices of government,
but this is purely the incident" and not
the "object" of party existence. And
the contention for office depends largely
for countenance among many Thoughtful
minds upon the fiction, that these Of
fees can only be properly administered
by partizans holding the sentiments"
of the dominant party. And it certainly
seems that if this "fiction" was aban-
doned, or did not rest in some degree
upon foundation of fact, politics would
cease to be in any respect "play of sem
but would Immediately become
far worse, viz. a mere per-
sonal and selfish scramble of practical
politicians" for official spoils, and would
result in the practical expulsion from all
participation in government of very
many Of these best fitted to ac-
complish its true object, the real
and prosperity of the people.
In other words, allow me, Mr.. Editor,
to say that greatly fear that all parties
are losing sight of the real object of
politics in the increasing anxiety to OBJ
tain the incidents. This is, I think,
fairly illustrated by the argument of the
World, which you approve, viz, that
Cleveland should have dissimulated his
real sentiment as to the vital subject of
tariff reform until he had again secured
Office. This could only have been done
by 'straddling" or adopting a plank
,iv,n doooiusrn T o1c hoI
that it was the avowed object of the
to induce the Democracy
to adopt this course as another step
towards securing the final abandonment
by that party of it's well-known and
views on the tariff. 1t is
because hold these views, Mr.. Editor,
that I venture to disagree with those
Democrats of whose ideas you are the
able exponent, and to declare my pro-
found conviction that the recent Demo.
cratic defeat, caused, if you please, by o
loyal, brave and outspoken enunciation
Of Democratic doctrine, is of far greater
value to the party and to the future of
the country than would have been many
victories purchased by silence or dissim-
ulatioE as to the great fundamental
sentiment" OF Democracy. By Cleve-
lands brave and manly act he has saved
his party from drifting into dangerous
quicksand, and by his and his party's
gallant and almost successful fight
against the combined capital of those
who have grown rich at the expense of
all who toll for their bread and
eat it in the sweat of their
brow, he has drawn plainly and
distinctly the line of the fight, which can
have but one issue fnally-the triumph
ant vindication of right and tie over
throw of all the protected monopolies
and trusts now threatening the life of the
Republic'and daily corrupting it's vital
source. The party occupies again its an
cient position as the great conservative
force and balance-wheel of the country,
and when that dire catastrophe looked
for now by many thoughtful minds-the
final uprising of the robbed and plum
dered people against their impudent op-
pressors-comes, that party will again
save the Republic by sternly repressing
the excesses of extremists with one
hand and dealing out deserved punish
ment with dignity and self-restraint upon
the other. AS to the Republican victory,
another such will destroy them, if the
last one has not already done go. Be-
lieving these views here hastily and
crudely expressed to be true, and that
they are shared by many Democrats
with me, deny that Cleveland's tariff
issue was a mistake, but viewed from
the standpoint both of right and of
will prove to have been the
highest political wisdom and statesman
ship.