New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-13
COSTLY ORLECT LESSONS.n

We are having "object lessons" in abun-
dance all over the country. The woods arc
full of them. They began shortly after the
November election of 1892, which brought
Democratic Administration into power In the
Nation. and with it what is called Democratic
majority in both branches of Congress. With
the Democratic tide that began rising In 1890
there came in varied assortment of Gov
errors and Legislatures in the several States,
some of them being labelled Democratic some
Popuist some Alliance, but all part of the
general movement in opposition to the Re-
publicans and all contributors to the great
Democratic victory And they have been Civ
ing the country "obicct lessons" too. The
greatest object lesson" of all from the Novcm-
Der election is to be read in the financial con-
diton which now prevails: in the widespread
distrust which paTalyzcs business, dcprcsses
trade. stops the wheels of industry, shrycls
values. endangers capital and threatens labor
with distress. privaton and want The whole
people are lcasling it at an alarming cost.
Whether the Democratic Congress which Pres
ident Cleveland has called in extra session for
next month has learned it "a thoroughly as he
hoped remains to be seen. IL Is not unlikely
that when it assemblies, instead of profting by
the present lesson it will itself afford another.
Meantime the object lessons offered in the
States which have fallen under the control of
the Democrats and the motley crew who under
all sorts of banners and with all sorts OF wild
fances and crazy notions fought with them
against the Republicans, arc not unworthy some
study. Consider for moment what \ Job lot
+otn in ,,if hp
Democratic revival. Take the il-bred Pen
noyer who knew no better than 10 send an
insulting message to the President Of the
United States in answer to an official communl-
cation on the enforcement of the Chinese EX-
clrsion act. Take Altgeld of Illinois. who
shocked the law abiding and order loving pco-
pie of all parties by pardonIng the Chicago
Anarchists III pursuance Of bargain made
before election for votes Take Stone, of Mis-
souri, who comes To a Chamber Of Commerce
dinner in this town to say that the people of
the Mississippi Valley are so dissatisfied with
existing systems of finance and the unequal
distribution of wealth that they are ready TO
resort 10 violent measures To effect a change.
Take the raging lunatIc Waite of Colorado.
who wants "blood 10 flow to the horses
brides" Take Tillman. of South Carolina.
who has made himself absolute III the State
and set himself up against the laws OF the
United States and the decisions of the Federal
courts. Take the whole lot OF them and in
mitigation throw in Billy Russell of NIasSa
chusetts, fairly good Governor, and Roswell
Flower, of New-Ior k who might be worse
and what a series of "object lessons" they
present.
Never in the history of the country was there
such an utterly grotesque array OF state Gov
nrnors But they are the crop that the coun-
try gathered in with the Democratic victory,
the uprising" of 1890, the tidal wave" of
1892. The Democratic partyo has been at
work for several years trying TO draw to itself
all tho groups and factions the odds and ends
Of all parties opposed to the Republicans, and
It has not shrunk from offering any in
lucement that seemed likely to effect its
purpose. The country is now in the full en-
Oyment of the results. Ii is the most amazing
spectacle ever witnessed Many of the Dem
)crats themselves, and all their Mugwump
allies who contributed so much to it, stand |
lghast at it. They would like to rcpudiatc
pennoyer, Altgcld, Waite and the rest, but |
hey cannot. 1t is a crop of their own plant
ng. Without them they could not have car
led the Presidential election. They sought |
heir support, allied themselves to and merged |
themselves with Them and now they have them |
Is an "Obicct lesson" In political campaigning |
There is consolation in the thought that the |
Ultimate good sense of the people will assert
tsef, and the whole job lot Of feather headed |
md rattle Drained statesmen" and red
nouthed rantcrs will be, at the first oppor-
unity, rclegatcd TO the obscurity from which
hey never should have been taken II is n
ostly object lesson" and it is not likely that
he experience will be repeated for many years.
The craze is already nearly over