The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-02-26
THE PEssIMISTIC PARTY.
Democracy, Having No Ideas OF Its Own,
Mefely Objects


The national democratic party pre-
sents at the present time remarkable
spectacle. 1t came into power in the
house of representatives on tidal
wave" and has an immense majority
in that body. Most of its representa-
tives there were elected, or supposed
they were, as tariff reformers" A
majority of them were chosen, partly
because they believed in the coinage of
silver and gold equally and freely by
our minis at the ratio of sixteen to one.
1t was natural to expect, therefore,
that the house would proceed at oncs
to smash the tariff and open our mints
for coinage to the silver of the world.
But the democratic party is queer.
| When it is out of office it processes
| allegiance, occasionally, to definite
| principle, and commits itself to a GER
tain line of action. When it is in power
it never does anything. 1t has no prin-
ciples, except to get in Office and
stay there. 1t has never developed an
affirmative policy in any direction. 1t
has never initiated progressive meas
ure. 1t never will
1t is not so surprising, therefore, af-
ter all, to those who know something
of the past history and present compos:
ition of the democratic party, that in
the body where it has complete power
it is now showing signs of paresis. We
are told that the democratic triumvi-
rate that controls the party in the SEN
ate and assumes to control il in the
nation, Messrs. German, Hill and
Brice, have agreed with the triumvi-
rate in the house, which, under the
new rules, if they are ever adopted,
will control all the legislation of that
body-the democratic members of the
committee on rules-that it is not desir-
able for the house to do anything at
this session on the silver and tariff
questions. Action of any kind might
split the party. The New England
and most of the New York democrats
are against fraudulent free silver; the
democrats of the south and west are in
favor of it. The democrats of Pennsyl-
vania, and some in other states, are
against free trade; the rest OF the DEM
ocrats are in favor of it. Therefore,
the passage of a free-coinage bill by
democratic votes in the house would
be dangerous; it might ALLEVIATE east
ern voters. The passage of Mills
bill" would antagonize business inter-
ests and precipitate tariff campaign,
and that would be dangerous. too.
So this party, as represented in con-
gress, and having in the popular branch
a clear majority of fifty votes, actually
dares not pass bill that would COM
nit it to any definite policy. This is
only a new and rather striking illustra-
ton of the very old fact that the demo-
cratic party is simply the against
party"-the party of opposition, the
party of negation. absolutely incapa-
BILE of positive action, of constructive
legislation or of adherence to any prin-
ciple.
In 1864 it ran for president a union
general on a secession platform; in 1868
it ran hard-money man on platform
of reputation; in 1872, on a platform
that contradicted every principle it had
ever professed, it ran Horace Greedy,
its lifelong and most bitter foe. In
1883 it was held by the throat by Gro
yer Cleveland on a positive platform.
and was defeated. The defeat has
knocked out of it whatever courage l.
temporarily possessed, and now it is
going back to the old plan of simply
Kicking at what the republicans have
done, without proposing anything def.
mite as a substitute.
The Fiftieth congress, under Speaker
Carlisle, was described by a democrat
in the house Just the other dag as do
nothing" congress, The Fifty-second
congress, so far as now appears, and SC
far as the house of representatives is
concerned, will be also e do-nothing
congress.-N. Y. Mail and Express.