New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-19

4 PARTY THAT CANNOT GOVERN I1SELf'
Democracy was once supposed to mean the
rule of the majority. The millions who toll, the
horny-banded and the industrious, who get
living by the sweat of their own browS, and not
nv the sweat and toll of other men, were sup
nosed TO WELD the governing power. In their
hands it was reasoned, public interests were
safe. Being themselves the public, caring for
their own interests and having the power to
guard those interests, the hard-fsted millions
could he intrusted with the responsibilities of
government more safely than any Car or King
any aristocracy, or body Of landed gentlemen.
Such was the Democratic theory. And the
Democratic party has come to DO q despousm
as absolute as that of any Car or King OF which
the ruling aristOcracy is composed OF the pIln-
cipal plunderers and thieves.
Lieutenant Governor Jones asserts that this
is not true Democracy. The Buffalo organ OF
Mr.. Clevelands friends declares that such
so-called Democracy as this deserves only hos
{litv and defeat. The Brooklyn Democracy
meditates about the ass in the lions SKIN, anu
wonders where the party is going to get Its ma
iority. The tariff enthusiasts inquire with III
concealed disgust why the party has virtually
nothing to say about the principal issue between
the great National parties. The farmers ana
the other people who can think of nothing else
but monopolies and corporations understand only
too we'll why convention which nominated
Mr.. Flower did not expend any Of its force in
denouncing railway or other corporations, or the
speculations by which he has made his wealth.
True he is a self-made man, who began life
Door and has accumulated great fortune. Men
who labor with their hands do not receive such
wages. When men honestly serve their race
and their country by producing wealth they get
in wages some part of the value they produce.
But the man who buys and sells stocks may get
q million in few hours by doing the work of
4 Vanderbilt or Gould, and by specializing
boldly ON his knowledge of their purposes. Such
men accumulate the wealth which other people
have earned and take for themselves part OF
whatever other people have produced, but by
their own exertions produce nothing, and add
nothing to the sum of things supplied Tor the
satisfaction of human wants. Such is the DEM
ocratic objection to the candidate nominated for
its party by It's despotS.
Mr. Croker owned part Of the convention
as completely as a ranchman owns the cate
branded with his initials. What he wishes
Tammany executes if it can, and any man who
does not obey the leader is marked as traitor
10 the organization. Mr. Murphy owned an
other section rof the convention by similar title
When these two had agreed, with or without
the assent of anybody else, the Democratic party
had a ticket made for it, with less voice in It's
selection than the cattle on the prairieS have
in the choice Of the cattle-dr The choice
Of these men, and such as these, is called the
choice of the hard ifsted Democracy Of the great
Empire State, and the voter who refuses to obey
their edcts is branded as faithless to Democratic
principles Yet of Democratic principles prop
erly speaking, the despots and their convention
had practically nothing to say. The tariff queS
ton is mentioned only incidentally in denunda-
ton of the Mckinley BILL but not the slightest
indication is given in the platform of the kind
of tariff the Democratic despots would prefer.
The silver question is dishonesty lodged. Reel
procity is called fraud, although to many bust
ness men of this city and State it is a solid and
most valuable realty. The longing of the la
boring millions for a better share of the wealth
their toll produces is treated with insolent con-
tempt, as it well mightbe by convention which
selected Mr.. Flower for Governor.
Such is the Democracy of 1891 in the richest
and most powerful State of the Union. What
wonder that it's friends are disheartened, and
look to the coming National campaign with
apprehension