New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-02-10
American People. That he will discover at the
end of his ambition.
SENATOR TESTS CANDID CONFESSloN'

end OF MS ambition.
SENATOR TESTS CANDID CONFESSlo''
The honest. sinpemnded person who our
inc the last few years has gravtated into the
notion that the Democratic party really means
something because it has maintained so long the
sttin,de of criticism and objection to what has
actually been done will do well to read with
little care the letter OF Senator vest TO Deino-
cratic club of Denver printed IN another COL
umn. and the analysis of the same by our W ASH
ineton correspondent. Senator vest Is a sehOe-
man who is esteemed by his colleagues Tor many
Qualities not least of which Is his perfect can
dor. Being the representative man OF his party
in state commonly reckOned as assuedly DEM
ocr,tic. no feels perhaps more at liberty 10 say
with boldness precisely what he thlnkSthan the
ovcr,oo Democrat from doubtful State, who is
not clear as to what course on disputed q'les
tions would be most satisfactory to his constltu
cnts. On the two leading questions OF current
noiticS 70 wit, the tariff and silver coinage, nc
has nronounced views which he has never heSI-
rated TO maintain openly and boldly. He is IN
favor Of Free Trade and free silver coinage.
On both he il ut open issue with the Repub-
licon marty. On both he has the Democratic
marty of his own State at his back. This con-
sidor,tion would of itself be sufficient even if he
had not the courage of his convictions, which
no one denies him, to influence his conduct and
decide his action Frank avowal OF his views
can do him no harm
This frank avowal he makes in the letter re-
ferred to. lie leaves no doubt as TO his attn
tudo ON either question. But it Will be Observed
that he does not discuss the principle or the
policy involved in either lie writes almost
solely with regard to candidates which is natural
enough under existing circumstances. And no
writes from the point of view, as any one VINO
reads his letter will readily see not OF states
man who is considering questions OF puncipIe'
but Of a managing politician who sees nothing
ahead but the question of political success OF
which party and what men shall be IN control
of the Government and have the disposal OF It's
offices and patronage for the next four years
Subjected to the last analysis, his letter means
plainly and simply that in the selection OF its
Presidential. candidate the Democratic party
should consider only what ono OF all the can
didatr., possible and probable, in sight and out
Of sight, can carry the most votes. Not on what
he believes but on what voters of the most d.
verse opinions and most contradictory views can
be made 70 think he believes.
This he states with curious candor. Ii is not
question which candidate actually represents
his own belief, and what he considers the be-
lief Of his party on the question OF the tariff
nor which ono represents his own belief and
tina. OF the club To which the letter is addressed,
on the silver question, but simply which one
is sufficiently unpwnounccd, sufficiently ambgu-
Gus and doubtful in his views, sufficiently supple
and Timber, 70 catch tho votes OF men OF all
sorts or opinions. whose differences on the only
qucs ions Of importance in current politics are
wide az the poles The ingcnuUsneSs of such
confession from sch source means some
thing. 70 the most casual observer Of current
politics it ought to have some significance. For
i. mean, that the Democratic party, if it has not
'hc courage Of is convictions, has IL least the
boldncss and assurance 10 tell the voters that
the game il is about TO open Is thlmb ,e-rgglng
that il proposes to catch al the simple souls who
think they can guess under which thimble the
" little joker is. The party may be for Free
Trade. or il may be for incidental Protection; 1t
nav be for free coinage or for honest money.
You pay your money and take your choice
Meantime the prescn, question is, who can so
deal the game rs 20 deceive most voters and
Scoop the crowd?
And this thing goes. There will be no sur
prise At the flankness Of tho confession 1t has
all been discounted There are very few voters
who DO not understand it, The game is not
PLAYED for FREQ Trade or Free Silver, but for
ulundcr for the Offices Mr.. Flanagan, OF
Flann.gan's Mills, made himself famous once
by asking in a Republican National Convention
when some one had intima.c ed that the party had
higher aims than the mere procurement OF Office;
"Whar are We here for?" Republicans have
n1 vet heard the last OF it. Why? Because
it was incongrlous aud gUtesQue; because the
implication shocked the general sense Of the
whole party. But Senator Vest, high in office
and high in the confidence and the counsels of
hi, rarty, deliberately sets forth the fact that
tho Democratic party is ready and willing,
chiefly anxious. indeed 70 abandon al its pro-
LESSONS and deceive everybody, just for tho
Office, and nothing else and nobody wonders.
Jus. here, it may be noted, is the essential
difference between lhs two IArtcs.
.@-------------=
Do coming events stiIl cast their shadows
before or is the coincidence in Hills and Twecds