The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-06-01
SLEEPING SAMPSON.
Tho Aroused Democratic Conscience Has
Awakened Him.

The Aroused Democratic Conscience Has
Awakened Him.
If what the New York Times says is
true, there is now on exhibition-place
not named, but presumably at the anti.
midwinter headquarters in this city
something funnier than barrel of mon
keys. 1t is the aroused conscience of the
Democratic party. Details are not given.
but it is probably shown under micro.
scope with magnifying power Of sew
eral thousand diaineters. 1t has some
times been asserted by students of history
who have taken pains to examine the
record Of the party so far as it relates 10
questions of morality-such, for in
stance, as selling men and women, repu.
dating honest debts, encouraging all
forms Of vice in order to exact tribute
from them, and so on-that no trace of
anything resembling conscience could
be found.
Others have maintained that originally
it had conscience; not healthy and well
developed perhaps, but something in the
neighborhood of the digestive apparatus
that was neither liver nor lights. and
consequently must be conscience. 1t
was usually torpid, but was liable to be-
come active during any stomach de-
rangement resulting either from hunger
or safety. There have been times of
internal disturbance when the liver and
lights have failed to work in unison, and
something has been elected after con
o,A Anro 1,la ratchino hot H., 90
be the conscience of the party. Its only
apparent function is to get itself thrown
of when it becomes active. 1t never
has affected the appetite or disturbed
the digestion.
The fact that this so called conscience
never remains in the system when &C.
tive, but is invariably elected, leads to
the belief that it is not really an organ.
but something extraneous; probably the
work of microbes. Indeed, some of the
ablest leaders in the party attribute thu
present disturbances at Washington and
at Albany entirely to microbes, and are
recommending heroic treatment for
them.
However that may be, The Times Is
confident that there is an actual con.
science in the party; that it has been
reused by recent events into state Of
uncommon activity, and that it is now
on exhibition, as it were, wriggling
FROM The Times account of what started
it up we infer that it is a kind of baro
metrical conscience, something that Is
especially sensitive to atmospheric condi
tions-a sort Of February conscience,
that hibernates most of the year but is
liable to wriggle into activity in Febru-
ary. Il lay forbid under circumstances
that would have made an ordinary con-
science rise up and 60 through the
chambers of the soul slamming doors
and breaking furniture.
All the time Mr.. Hill was working up
the conspiracy to steal the senate the
Democratic conscience, il there be such
thing, was as quiet as the grave. II.
successfully carried out his plans,
cheated the people, stole the senate, re-
warded his instruments and accom-
plices, put the Legislature in the hands
Of the Democratic party and with il the
power, as he boasted, to perpetuate IL
self in control, and the alleged Demo
cratic conscience never stirred. Nothing
wis ever deader. No sign Of anything
like life or movement i'm il. The theory
that the party has no conscience seemed
TO be fully demonstrated.
But Hill called convention in Febru-
ary. Suddenly something stirred be-
tween the liver and the lights, in the
place from which tho Marty usuallv
elects what has sometimes been called
its conscience. There has been more
or less wriggling in that neighborhood
ever since. The Times says it is the
conscience Of tho party reused into
activity by the snap convention, and
that IL is one Of the most encouraging
things il has witnessed for a long time.