St. Paul daily globe., 1891-04-27
A Thirteen Months Season Of
Most Aggravated Jobbery
and Corruption.
Work Done by the "Fat-Fry-
ing Circular" in the Last
Campaign.
Democrats Preparing to Make
a Grand, Concerted Fight
Next Time.


congress, says Chauncey F. Black in
the New York World, it can hardly be
criticised for somewhat exuItant con-
fidence in view of the additional ad.
vantages afforded it by the sec.
ond session. If the Mckinley bill
alone turned congress upside down and
sent in majority of 150 Oh the tax-re-
form side to replace the majority largely
manufactured by Reed and his elections
committee on the monopoly side, what
may not be expected when we go to the
country upon the utterly Infamous rec
ord of that congress, extended and ag
gravated by the jobbery and extrava
gance of its second session. New
er has the Democratic party
in all its history, since the
institution of American parties, gone
into contest with greater store of argu.
ment and sentiment, or with a more Ger
tain prospect of easy and complete vic
tory unless overborne by the sheer
weight of money and organization. Just
this, however. occurred in 1898. Its can
didates were then the undoubted choice
of the people. They received a major
ity of the votes; they ought to have
been legally elected, and they would
have been elected, together with q
Democratic majority in the house OF
representatives, but for the unscrupul-
l0uS adroitneSs of Republican manage
ment and the vast corruption funds con
tributed by the monopolies which it was
proposed to protect and extend.
Defective organization on its part is
then the only danger confronting the
Democratic party III 1892. While Dem
ocratic leaders cautiously and con-
ScientiOusly contested every inch OF
ground against Republican aggression
in both houses during the late session,
and in some instances, notably that OF
the force bill and of the ship-subsidy
bill, wholly defeated the plans of the
enemy, they have been ever since last
autumn considering the most feasible
and effective methods of organization
1t has been definitely determined that
be suffered to drift into national conflict
with all the advantages of organization
against it. if it can be prevented. The
national committee and the congress
siOnal campaign committee and active
leaders i'll the senate and the house
have had this important subject under
consideration almost continuously. II
has received the attention it deserved
and when the battle is once on the Dem
Ocratic people will feel the effects OF
these wise counseIs and timely precau-
tiOns of those charged with the party
conduct.
The National Association of Dem
ocratic clubs was organized by a dele
gate convention at Baltimore on the 4tb
of July, 1888. 1t rendered valuable
service during the campaign of that
year, and will be prepared to render
still greater in the canvass of 1892. Its
constitution is more popular than the
corresponding organization on the other
side. the National Republican league.
The one is an association, the other a
league in name. The convention of the
association is composed of delegates
from the primary societies; the conven-
ton or the league is composed of dele
gates from the state leagues. The con-
ventiOn of the association is enormous
in numbers; that of the league is COM
paratively limited. The Baltimore con-
vention was one of the largest political
assemblages in the history of the coun-
try: the conventions of the Republican
league are small, easily impressed and
handled by political bosses. The league,
like every other agency of a CORFU pit
party, is carefully nursed and duly sup
ported by those for whose service it eX-
lists. The Democratic association rep
resentS the plain people, and looks to
them alone for aid in the various eXI-
gencies of political warfare.
Republican politicians, including the
then president OF the league. gave a
large share of the credit of President
HarrIson's election to that organization.
The "fat-frying" circular, it will be
rec0llected, was signed by its president.
The Ma ionaI Association of Democratic
clubs, on the contrary. arose almost
spontaneously. and grew only with the
spirit and purpose of the Democratic
people. Its constitution eOntempIates
merely a skeleton organization in the
intervals between national campaigns,
remitting the club work in state and
congressional elections to the state aSso-
Citations or the primary Democratic So
cieties. 1t has a vice president and
four members of a general commit
tee from each state and territory, to
serve four years. The president is
chairman of the general committee,
which meets upon his call, the affairs OF
the association being managed in the
meanwhile by an executive committee
Of thirteen. The conventions of the
Republican league are annual, while
those of the National Association of
Democratic climbs are quadrennlal, fixed
by the constitution at time SubSe-
quent to the regular Democratic Ma.
tional convention. In other words, the
association is not to name candidates OF
TO frame platforms, but to support them
as they are provided by the regular con
ventions of the party. 1t is not an in
strument of politicians, to advance the
interests of persons Or factions, but the
embodiment of the earnest and active
Democracy in defense of Democratic
principles and in aid of Democratic
nominations.
This sketch of the constitution and
purposes of the National Association OF
Democratic clubs is given, in part. to
correct misapprehensions. the prev
aIence of which is revealed in numer-
Gus letters received by its officers. Many
imagine that the activity of the Repub
Hcan league, as shown by their annual
conventions, should be rivaled by the
National Association of Democratic
clubs. But it is not such a concern al
all. When its next national convention
shall be held, not to forestall the Demo
cratic nominations and platform, but to
ratify them and rally the people to their
support, the demonstration of Demo
cratic hope and spirit will be one beside
which the small potato annual conven-
tons of the Republican league will ap-
pear in their true inSignificance.
Meanwhile the National Association
of Democratic clubs has opened offices
III this city, under the immediate charge
of Secretary Lawrence Gardner, whence
a continuous campaign under the direc-
ton of the national Democratic commit
tee Will be Systematically conducted
the organization of new clubs will be
encouraged. and the organization of
state organizations, where none exist,
will be urged. Selected political litera-
ture will be distributed; all inquiries
will be promptly nswered and infor-
nation given, and a constant cor
respondence with every portion of the
country maintained. The campaign of
1892 Is now practically opened, and the
fact justifes this movement on the part
of the national association and the IA
tional committee. 1t is believed that
by the time the nominations are made