Huntsville gazette., 1892-03-26
DEMOCRATIC DEFEAT.
roredooH.ed to Humiliation by Dishonest
Practices.

lOi w nav tHClC 10 III ~, Out OCCduSO
they believe in democratic doctrine,
view the course of their party in con-
gress with mingled feeling of disgust
and despair. 1t is not merely wonder
fu], bat miraculous. how the democracy
is inuddling it's chances away, in and
ont of congress. The people dismissed
republican house with twenty-eight
majority and replaced it with one hav-
ing democratic majority of one hun
dred and forty-eight-th largest ever
known, even in war times, when the
everything their own way. Had the
republicans come into possession OF
such house in December last, and a
democratic senate and president had
confronted them, they would, long ere
this. have had the opposition in state
of frantic accusation or defense But
the democratic party is not built that
way. 1t is coward 1t can see only
the dangers of aggressive action, none
of the advantages; and instead of ex-
ultantly pressing forward with a posi-
tive policy. it's soul is sick with fear, and
it halts and skulks Congress has been
Ill StSSIOu lOI IuOIC tHdu tNO uuOhOiic
and half, yet the house has dared
to do nothing. 1t has not even had the
pluck to hit the tariff between the
eyes, but has gone dodging around en-
deavoring to stick pin in its leg. The
silver question has scared it so violent
1y as to provoke the country's con-
temptuous laughter. Two-thirds of
the democratic congressman are in
favor of free silver, and werC elected
by free-silver constituencies, but the
only care of most of them is to post
pone action until after the presidential
election, lest action should ''hurt the
party And pretty mess of things
they are making for their party.
Their constituents pushed them on the
stage to fight. and now that the cur
tain has been rung up, these redoubt-
able champions have the heart for
nothing more perilous than parleying
for postponement. Were the republic
ans in their place and with their coin
age craze, there would have been a
free-silver bill-or free-nickel bill,
for that matter-passed long ago.
Which is to say that with the people
OCbiiitt tuCLis tllC ICPuOllSdh iCouCI . IL
congress always have both the sense
and pluck to do things, and stand pre-
pared to face the consequences.
Outside of congress the same craven
ness and stupidity mark the conduct
of the democracy. There are two
men to the fore for its presidential
favor-Grover Cleveland and David b.
Hill. OF the first, the Argonaut is
forced to say that however amusing hi.
solemn egotism and fondness for pom
derous phraseology may be, he is {
man of ability and character. who, be
sides giving dignity to his party, sup
piled American politics with an issue
over which intelligent men could differ
nationally. Of the other, it can be sait
that he knows how to carry New Yorl
that he possesses the secret of in
gratiating himself with the hordes Of
ignorant and vicious creatures that in
habit the tenement-houses of New
York city. This chimpanzee vote, most
ly Irish, Mr. Hill carries in his politica,
valise, and, on the strength of that
fact, he asks for the presidential nomi
nation He stands for the extension Of
ward politics to the national field, and
nothing more. 1t is already apparent
that he is master of the situation, ant
that if he himself does not get the
prize, he will be able to control its be
stowal The intelligence, the charac
ter, the principle, the enthusiasm, o.
the democratic party are all agains
Hill and in favor of Cleveland, but the
party gives every sign of being 81
timid and base as to permit its one
leader to be sacrificed at the behest o.
this disreputable Hill, this master o.
the metropolitan slums, this New York
Buckley.
Nothing can now save the democracy
from another presidential defeat. The
people are rsady enough to forgive
mistakes honestly made, or rashnes.
prompted by zeal in a cause believed
in; but the people have only distrus
and contempt for poltroonery. The
democratic leaders who have led the
party into this dismal swamp of indie
cision-who with the opportunity tt
make brilliant charge have, like Hal
leck when he superseded Grant before
Corinth, given all their minds to
throwing up intrenchments and keep
ing open the line of retreat-who have
followed, and are still following. the
tactics suited to timorous, beater
minority rather than of an unprece-
dented maj ajority-shrink from honest
advocacy of anything, even of the
single issue which furnishes their party
with reason for independent exist
encc. They dare not be logical in as
sailing the protective tariff, for, while
they use all the arguments of free
traders, they protest that they abhol
free trade Their first care is to blunt
their swords before striking. A party
whose solitary hope rests on the sins Of
its adversary will gain no triumphs,
because it deserves none. The demo
cratic party" said that wise old poll
tician, Samuel J. Tilden, twill wir
victories when it has the courage to be
democratic" That period, evidently
has not yet arrived. Every democrat
whose intelligence is high enough te
enable him to survey the nation. and
who is sufficiently candid to allow his
vxvich has 4