Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-09-27
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Its Arrogance and Assumption Fairly
Shown Up.


mate of the Democratic party:
One third of century ago the Demo-
cratic party was beyond all description
arrogant, and confident in the ever.
lasting possession Of power. They held
the Republicans, who did not believe
free soil should shelter slavery, in fine
scorn, and their constant threat was
that If they did not have anything and
all things their way, they would dis.
solve the Union. AT the same time,
they claimed exclusive jurisdiction in
the construction of the Constitution.
They we're not going to allow sectional
politics to disturb them. Never. The
Democratic party had underbid the
Whig party to secure the cooperation
of the slave power, but that power was
not content with partnership; it de-
manded mastery. 1t was the force Ct
masterful and master class. The
Whig party refrained from directly
confronting and antagonizing the ex-
tension of slavery, and perished.
Then the Democrats would not have
paid five per cent. premium to be as
sured that they should hold office for
forty years. Just when they were sur
est of consolidation and invincibility,
they were divided and defeated, and
for the lifetime of a generation they
ceased to possess the Government as
they had it in the spring of '6O-the
President and both houses of Congress
the law making and executing abil
ity. They hal formed such habit of
threatening war in case they did not
succeed at the elections-that is, in
taking course that made war newt
able, for the Union could not he dis
solved without the clash of arms and
bloodshed-that there was war sure
enough. The fire eaters thought the
Union would be thoroughly dissolved
before the Inauguration of Lincoln,
who, finding the thing done, would
acquiesce in it, but this was miscal-
culation.
The Republicans succeeded in elect
ing Mr.. Lincoln because there were two
Democratic parties, that divided upon
thequestion whether the Territories were
to slave holders with their property in
man-in other words, whether the Gov
ernment of the United States should be
used to make more slave States. The
Democrats who were in controversy
when the Charleston Con vention as
sembled did not credit each other with
enough earnestness to actually proceed
to rupture. In this they were like
the sections that drifted into war largely
because they did not do each other 3
fighting qualities justice. The Demo
cratic party has not learned as smuch as
it should during the almost forty years
it was in the wilderness, but it does not
openly threaten civil war now every
time there is an election. They did not
last year threaten the reestablishment
of the Southern Confederacy in case of
the reelection of President Harrison.
But in ways and means and manners
the Democratic party is the same old
party, and it is as brutally insolent
now as it was just before disruption.
1t is as confident of going on with the
Government for a generation as it was
on the eve of retirement for that period
of exile. There has been constant
clatter for nearly three years that the
Republican party has been overwhelm
ingly condemned, especially its policy
of protection. Analyze the situation
and it will appear that the Democratic
victories that yielded the present Con
gress and the late one, and the Presi
dent, were thoroughly fraudulent; tina
the party has no business principles
that the Chicago platform was jun
BILE of frauds, of fragrant contradic
tions, of resolutions saying one thinl
at the beginning and another at tn
end; that the tariff plank reported anC
the one adopted, while radically differ
ing, served the purpose of a doubl
ender, so that the President, seeing tn
confusion of those who had electe,
him, refrained as long as he could from
calling their representatives together
knowing that they must, as they have
expose their incapacity for good an
their exuberance in evil. Are ther
not two Democratic parties again. Th
partial muster for the repeal of tn
silver purchase law is under conflic
ing banners.
u One wing of the Democracy war
gold alone for the standard, and tn
other demands more silver. All al
hostile to the Sherman law; a part b,
cause it employs the gold measure an
q part because it does not require fir,
coinage. This is the state Of the part
!. six months after it had reached respol
sibility, and there are as distinct an
conflicting sentiments in the two win,
of the party of the administration no
on the money standard questions
. there was in the last year of Jam
Buchanan about the propaganda
slavery. The question of the free col
age of silver is as rugged, sharp, ragg,
J edged as that of slavery in the Ter
tories. Among the most bitter assa
;. ants of the President now are maj
O who were enthusiasts in supporting hi
: in his three races for the great offiC
Tho Al..:r,ak~, ,~1l:... !.