The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-18
SEATTLE. MONDAY. APRIL rs.
THE DEMOCRACY DIVIDED AND
DISCOURAGED.

The Democracy are not only hopelessly
divided as to candidates, but as to policy.
Some of the Democrats, including Mills,
Cleveland and the New England Demo-
cratic contingent, believe in the repeal of
the Mckinley tariff and the substitution
of "free trade;" some of them would re-
peal the Mckinley tariff and restore the
protective tariff of 1888; some of them,
like Springer and his following believe in
reforming the Mckinley tariff by eviscerat-
iHgit; that is, they would add wool, lumber,
cotton ties, bagging. hops and number
of other articles that now represent valua-
Bile home industries to the free list.
The result of this division of Democratic
policy is that the Democratic congress is
today without leadership and has accom-
plished nothing of importance. The
division on the silver question is even
more radical, bitter, widespread and ire
concilable than upon that of the tariff.
While the free silver bill has not yet
passed the House the Democratic party
has been committed to the support of free
coinage by the Democratic majority in the
popular body of congress. The keeuest
and most candid minds in the Democratic
party do not feel nearly as confident of VIC
tory in November as they did four months
ago. David b. Hill was then believed to
be 1.-THE coming man." but the reputation
of Hills legislative steal by the best ele-
ments of the New York Democracy; the
contempt excited by his public speeches
at the South, have destroyed his poten-
tiality as a presidential candidate.
While Hill cannot make a spoon for
himself he is able to spoil horn; that is,
he can make it dangerous to nominate
Cleveland. German, of Maryland, and
Brice, of Ohio. do not believe that either
Hill or Cleveland stands any chance of
the nomination. They point to the Rhode
Island election as discouraging; it was
fought out solely on the national issues
which are to control the presidential con-
test-silver and the tariff. 1t was a test
not only of silver and the tariff but also of
the strength and popularity Of ex-Presi-
dent Cleveland, who was a protuberant
figure on the stump, if not prominent
debater.
The Democratic state convention in
Rhode Island had declared in Cleveland's
favor; the Democratic House was in the
very act of passing a bill giving the manu-
facturers free wool and yet retaining high
enough rates on wooden goods, as was
claimed, to protect labor. Nevertheless
the Democrats lost Rhode Island, and this
defeat means that even with Cleveland
there is no hope of carrying any New En-
gland state for the Democracy in Novem-
Der. If Cleveland, with free wool and an
anti-silver coinage record, cannot carry
any New England state he is not likely to
carry the Republican states of Michigan,
Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota.
The division in the Democracy both in
party policy and party candidates is
shown by the fact that the Cleveland
free trade" Democrats declare that Rhode
Island was lost because the majority of the
Democrats in the National House of Repre-
sentatives voted for free silver" while
the free silver" Democracy declare that
Rhode Island was lost because "free
trade, as expressed in free wool, was adj
vocated by its arch apostle Cleveland. To
illustrate, the New York Sun, the expon-
ent of the Democratic protectionists, says
In 1885 the Democratic party went crazy for
tariff reform. aud trotted into the mud behind
an elephantine economist OF the Mugwumps.
Licking No !.
In 1891 the Ohio Democrats. sticking TO the
same old tariff reform as propounded by the
same old corpulent Golden, became unprotected
mats for Major Mckinley and the Republican
party TO wipe their feet on. Licking No. .
In 1872 the Rhode Island Democrats took IN
tariff reform. aud the same old saEeotie dervlsh.
Licking No &
II will pay the Democratic party TO throw
away its season ticket TO defeat
The New York Times, the able evangelist
OF the Cleveland free trade" Democracy,
thus denounces Hill, the candidate of the
Tammany Democracy:
When the constituencies plotter ATTEMPTED to
extend the field of his operations from the state
60 the nation, and exhibited his methods before
the country in the rape of state convention,
aud delegate hunt beyond the reach OF his own
machine, he exposed the CHASTITY restitution OF
his moral nature. He appeared as "a man OF
EGGS aud wires, amin ated only by the snrins a,
selhshness without principle. without con.
science, without moral purpose aud, most hone,
less OF all, without real ssgacity or mental
power
The New York Sua replies by pointine
out that the Democratic defeat in Rhode
Island so "rattled" the Massachusetts
Mugwump Democracy that at the recen;
Democratic state convention but two
Cleveland men were elected delegates a,
large TO the Democratic national conven-
tion, while an out-and-out Hill candidate
received the votes of more than one-thira
OF the delegates. The most -astute South,
srn Democrats hold that the electoral vote
OF New York is essential to victory; that
it cannot be carried with Cleveland, Hill
or Flower; that German is q stronger can.
ddate than any New York man
would be. since the New York Demo.
crscy is irreconcilsbly divided into the
two hostile camps of Cleveland and Hill.
Tie close Democratic states of New York.
New Jersey. Connecticut and Indiana, il
common sense prevails at the Democratic
National convention, will name the candi-
dates, just as the Republican convention
will naturally defer to the Judgment OF