Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-30
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE Ma.
TIONAL DIGNITY.

THE UhMOOhA IAhA NM AAG NA-
TIONAL DIGNITY.
Now and then the United States, like
any other nationality, may be subjected
to the eventuality of war. These things
arise with the spontaneity OF growth
which characterizes the upspringing OF
mushrooms in the path of a COW in ver-
nal April pastures. No incubation is
necessary. You go to bed during the
night, and you find your war or your
mushroom the next morning.
Such seems to have been the result of
Republican party bungling with Chile.
The latest dispatches indicate that that
country maintains a sullen and hostile
attitude. For the killing of the blue
Jackets of the Baltimore the triumphant
iunta has neither words of apology nor
explanation. The squatty built little
South American republic seems to be in
a mood in which she does not care
whether school keeps or not.
This attitude Of Chile is undoubtedly
very embarrassing to the United States.
If we had Minister Egan and his refu
gees out of that tempestuous little
country we should probably simply sus-
pend diplomatic relations, and let it go
at that. Entirely too much Importance
is attached to our trade relations with
the republics of Central and South
America. They generally consist in our
handing over broad American dollars
for practically nothing. But then there
is a sentiment connected with the mat
ter which counts for something with
Jim Blaine's admirers.
Coffee we must have if, in the language
of the classic butcher, we are obliged to
break one of those integuments that are
known in music as catguts. The Bow
cry boy puts the language much more
systematically. We get our coffee
from Central and South America, and we
pay honest dollars for it. We are able
to pay for the coffee, whether or no we
have reciprocity, and that about settles
our relations with South and Cen
tral America. Jim Blaine's scheme
of reciprocity is what the late Senator
Ingalls,, of Kansas, would have called an
s'irridescent dream" 1t is strictly Jug
handled.
But to get back to our muttons, in the
language Of the elegiac poet, which
means to recur to the Chilean question.
Tuesdays San Francisco Chronicle con-
tains one of those luminous articles on
this subject which makes a wayfaring
man greatly regret that he was not born
pundit. This bright propagator of
ideas of the Iucus non ltcendo order,
acquits himself of the following.
In this connection it may be observed
that great part of the present compli-
cation is due to the Democratic party of
the United States, which has sedulously
cultivated the idea that this country
would permit itself to be kicked and in
suited rather than spend the public
money for the national good. No won
der that Chile imagines that we shall
never have modern navy when it reads
the Democratic wall over congressional
appropriations of public money and the
promises so often made that the coming
Democratic house OF representatives will
cut down appropriations to the lowest
notch. How can it believe in an Ameri-
can navy with the Democratic party
handling the nations purse strings?
Jess so. 1t is positively astonishing
that the Democratic party does not get
on to its shortcomings Immediately if
not sooner. The gall of the individual
who gave expression to so much false
hood and misrepresentation as are en-
bodied in the foregoing extract would
dispense with rennets for souring milk,
and convert the whole lacteal streams of
the country into curds and whey, as from
first intentions.
AS long as the Democratic party re-
tanned control of the country the Ameri-
can flag was full high advanced. Under
the Democratic president, Madison, we
fought the second war with Great Brit
ain, in order to maintain Ameri-
can sailors rights. 1t was under
a Democratic administration that
Sam Houston and his gallant followers
won the war with Mexico, and added
Texas aud California to the American
union. 1t was under Democratic inspir
alton that the cry went forth that gave
Us the states Of Washington and Oregon.
Df g forty-four, forty or fight" 1t was
Marcy, Democratic secretary OF state.
that compelled the restoration of Martin
Koztka, naturalized citizen of the
United States, to his freedom, with a
threat to sink the Austrian navy if it
Bere not accorded.
It was during the long ascendancy Of
he Republican party that the splendid
american navy and American merchant
marine sank into desuetude. That party
ared only for the liberty to pen in, con-
rol and rob the many millions of Amer
cans. At no stage did it exhibit a spark
1 American manhood as respects coun-
ries abroad. Far graver incidents than
hat with which we are now con-