New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-30
THE CALAMITY CANDIDATE.

The rude and pitiless language OF the street
often strikes exactly the vital spot. Oid
Calamity of Buzzards Bay" is now the street
name for the Democratic candidate, and though
disrespectful it is suggestive. He leads the
party of disaster and ruin, and ii it should
succeed, the buzzard rather than the eagle must
he chosen as the National bird. MIR. Cleve-
lands only argument is that the happiest, rich
est and most prosperous people on ear'n are
burdened, plundered and Impoverished Deyohd
endurance His only chance is that such sweep
ing disaster may come, or that dlsconteht may
sway so many votes, that the policy may De
overthrow which has opened to all larger en-
ployment and better wages.
Mr.. Cleveland and his friends look back
with intense satisfaction to the tremendous ma
iorties which short crops IN 1870 helped 10
give them. Farmers were in great Distress
thew said. and had turned against the Repub-
lican party by the hundred thousand What
fine thing it is that we have one great party
which can find cheer in any National msfort-
une II was encouraging to the calamity people
to assume that their pet theories would De
justified by general prostration OF business thiS
wear. A panic would have meant more Demo
cratic votes. When multitudes are out OF en-
ployment, when thousands are hungry, when
the approach of winter finds many without sliii-
cient shelter or clothing, the party OF calamity
is ant to gain recruits. Therefore, that party
finds recompense for the disaster and the
suffering. in the belief that these will mean
Democratic success.
OF course the men who long for general dis
trcss are not the millions, nor are they active
business men or thrifty workers. Yet the tone
and spirit of the party are determined, 10
great extent, by the men who have Office 10
Gain and not much to lose. IL does seem almost
incomprehensiblc that there can exist in such
a country as this Il great party which needs
National disaster to give it a chance OF success
But facts must be taken as they are. The
calamity party swept the board after the mis-
fortunes of agriculture in $50, just as it gained
nightly in the elections of 1862 after dlsas-
tors TO the Union armies in the field. But it
VAS had hard luck this year. Storms have not
DESTROYED nor drouth withered the crops, and
the Nations prosperity is apt to affect Democ-
racy lust as Shcridans victories in the Shenan-
doah Valley affected the same party in 1864.
Riding through n Western State, where the
blessings of sunshine have been followed by
rich fields of ripened grain ready for the reap
or. a traveller looked out on the wide expanse
If wheat. and said: "That means Democratic
defeat. | fear lie went further, and found
in another county acres of new buildings going
up for a manufacture which had existed no.
where in the country until the Mckinley bill
had passed, and he calculated: Hang the
thing. More Republican votes are coming here
also.n lie approached a railroad centre and
saw miles of loaded cars far longer lines than
he had ever seen there before, and when the
depot was reached he rushed out and tcle-
praphed home to withdraw large bet he had
offered on Cleveland's election. His feelings
were too deep for uttcrance, but if he had found
words for them he might have said "This
country is too prosperous to vote for calamity
candidatcD