The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-20

A third marty movement has been '"".H
| xa.oa /, uossoobrse,ts which has recei'eu
considerable ;tnpetus in New York from
conforonce Of leading independents OF 'n"'
State. Thepurpose Of this proposed fhiru p"'S
- no. 90 no q side-show for either OF the '"o
&c.. ,,ar,;as ~ tho country, but TO take from
both what is believed TO be then oes' ie''"'eo
and reject what is considered to be INJURIOUS
| % the best interests Of the country. foT i"'
s,ance the leaders OF the movement Ea'e u"-
nounced that they will support neither bih'no
nor Hill for the presidency. since poth 'heao
gentlemen are regarded more a. schehiins
uol;ticians than statesmen. and the prihci-
MOS enunciated are tariff reform. honest
money and genuine reform Of the civil ser
vice All peopls in the United states VINO
| favor these principles. no matter 20 "Ha'
political party they originally belonged are
called upon 10 make common cause with thls
movement and unite in electng President
who is known t. be positively friendly 70
these ideas.
No third party in the United States can
hope to elect President or he successful IN
the field. The people are too much welded
TO one or the other Of the established pohticai
organizations 70 desert them, and besides 'hiS
the two old parties have too great prestige 10
be overwhelmed by any new movement TX
perience Of the past has amply proven TINS
beyond contradiction. The experiment mas
been frequently made and as frequently
failed
But while there is not much danger OF the
proposed new party carrying the country
next November il must be remembered that
the votes Of those who desire T. organize IL
all count. and neither the Democrats nor Re
publicans can afford to ignore them. The
Democratic party especially will need them
and il would be the height of folly 70 lose
them when by merely living up to theayowed
principles of the party they can be obtained.
The promoters of the new party as we nave
seen. are in favor first. Of tariff reform
That is the most prominent doctrine OF the
Democracy II was Democratic President
who first boldly flung the banner Of such re-
form TO the breeze, and the overwhelming
victory won in 1891 for the principles he enun-
ciated was a magnificent yindicatlon OF the
wisdom of his position The new party favors
y
a fundamental doctrine of the Democracy.
All it has 10 do is to stick 10 its principles ID
thislineand avoid the heresy ofthe free aud I'M
limited coinage of cheap silver dollars, which
will inevitably drive gold out Of circulation,
and leave the country with q contracted cur
rency of dobased money, and there will not
only be no reason for any ones deserving It's
ranks. bat it will assuredly grow in favor
with the people. Ii is great mistake to
imagine that the masses do not think, and
the most cursory reflection Will convince any
reasonable man that cheap silver means uni
versa disaster. Then again this projected
new party favors genuine civil service re-
form. and this is also a profession Of the
Democratic party. The present civil service
laws are TO great extent humbug, it is true,
for they we're framed only with the idea Of
keeping Republican officials in power under
a Democratic administration. but they are
laws and 50 long as they remain upon the
statute books they should be enforced II
will always be easy enough 10 get rid of
faithless and obnoxious officers, while no
party can ever suffer by ahordiag legal pro-
lection to those who are honest. cOnsclen-
tious and capable.
All the Democratic party has to do, there
fore is to stick to its principles in order to
gain the votes of all rght-thinking men in the
country and render all efforts at the forma-
ton of third party abortive. Let it de
termine to steer clear of schemers and trick
sters and go on the principle of ex-President
Cleveland. that tits better to be defeated than
TO be wrong. Let it assert and live up to
its time -honored teachings and it Will need
nothing else TO give it victory. Its success
before the country will be assured.