The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-19
A Great Lesson.

|
| elections TO be only the beginning OF
| series - similar defeats, they must a"osr
! all things, look the truth as '" me
| causes OF the disaster straight III the ldCe'
IL VIII do them no good 10 doIePl tne
| explanation 81 the BOSSES, VINO, III oluer
TO call away popular attention lrolh 'heir
own mlsdoings. pretend that tne sred.
| overthrow was wholly owing 10 The bad
! times" for which the ruling party was
| always, no matter how unreasonably,
| held responsible II there had been only
[ change OF some thousand votes from the
Democratic 10 the Republican side. the
business troubles disturbing the popular
mind might be held accountable for it.
I But great political 1pheaVals are not eN-
planned in such a way, especially when
they occur In of years. when ordinarily
| the interest in politics Is but languid.
The truth is that the Democratic party
! has in conspicuous manner failed to
! Justify the confidence OF many good cti-
| zens who last year, at the Presidential
election, gave Il their support The bust
| ness disturbance would not have produced
| such sweeping political effects had the
! party IN pOwer-that is, The majority OF
! the Democrats I'm COnsress-shOWn them
selves capable OF dealing with the most
| pressing problem Of the time as saga
| crisis demanded. 10 Is true, the final re-
| peal OF the Sherman act satisfied the i'm
| mediate requirements 81 the day. But this
| result is generally believed to be due 10
! the unwavering nrmness Of the President,
ana not 10 the wisdom OF the Democratic
! majority. II produced much more the Inn
| preston OF a lucky escape than Of an act
performed by the party I'm power accord
Ing to well-settled policy.
The public mind has conceived a serious
misgiving as 10 what the Democratic ma
Jority would do when unrestrained by a
| very vigorous Executive leadership. And
| here word TO our Southern friends is in
order. Their senator's and representatives.
In Congress, who, either from natural
! muddle-headedness or from cOwardly
dread Of the Popullst movement I'm their
| states, abet those financial heresies which
| nave becog3e SO dangerous 20 our honor
and prosperity as q nation, are in a fair
way again 10 ruin the Democratic party
in the confidence Of the Northern people
and thereby IN the whole country. as tho
roughly as Il was ruined during the civil
war and FOR many years afterwards In the
Democratic defeats this autumn they
should recognize the beginning Of a re-
vval Of that fatal distrust which
when fully developed, will utterly destroy
Tor an indefinite time the prospects Of
any party against which it is aroused
II the Democratic party wishes 10 re-
main a strong factor in American poli-
ucs, u VIII have to dsarm that distrust
by wise treatment OF the financial prob
Iems Sill TO be solved. and by the full
hlmeut of the promises With regard 10 the
tariff policy which found so much favor
with the people I'm the national elections
OF 1917 ana lE2. II can no longer stake
us fortunes upon the esteem i'm which Mr.
Cleveland IS held. for he will not remain
It's leader much longer; and. besides. the
prestige Of his name, too, has been i'm
paired by his deplorable action in the
Van Allen case. and by the spells politics
which his administration has been carry
ing on. These things have played a sub
ordinate, although by no means unimpor-
tant part I'm the recent election. but they
VIII snow their full effect when public at
tention Is TO longer diverted from them
by questions Of immediate urgency.
The Democratic party VIII have 70 show,
that it has prodted by other lessons re-
Gently administered to H. The Demo
cratic defeat i'm the State OF New York
was OF peculiar significance II has de-
monslf@,ed me existence in great
strength Of the Democratic AIurwun,p
The time is past when, as the saying was.
n wooden Indian I'm front Of a tobacco
store would get the whole Democratic
vote If he had the regular nomination
The selfish tyranny Of the Democratic
party bosses In this State has of late
years been so audacious in its wlckedness
Ilat az last In the most rigidly disciplined
or political parties the outraged dignity
OK human nature asserted itself IN omen
revolt When upon the snap convention
OF last year followed the nomination OF a
notorious criminal for a seat I'm the
highest court Of the State. not only those
VINO last year manifested an fndepend-
eht spirit but even thousands OF Tam
many men, refused 20 obey. and voted
against the obnoxious candidate.
In Brooklyn and Buffalo II was an IN
rising or honest Democrats that swept
the candidates Of insOient bosses From,
the field and transformed Democratic
INTO Republican majOrities: and on the
gay after the election hundreds Of Demo
Gratis were seen on the streets tubuantlv
congratulating one another upon Repubu
can victories. The question for the Demo
cratic party 90 consider viii henceforth
be- not merely how 10 attract the indie
pendent vote which formerly had been
Republican and had cut loose from thar
party ON account OF It's misconduct. but
how 70 hold the Democratic Mugwump
vote, which formerly belonged TO IT but
now stands ready 10 punish the Detno-
cratic party with defeat whenever IL
shows itself unworthy Of support.
Under these circumstances the Demo
cratic party cannot remain under SUCH
leadership as that which has OF late
ruled r. I'm the State Of New York. with
out booming itself TO impotency and dis
grace. An me old disgusting stories that
formerly We're told Of Democratic lawless-
ness and fraud and corruption have
been made true again by these leaders
and their henchmen The continuance OF
their rule viii make the party a stencil
IN the nOstrils Of the nation. The Hills
and the Sheshahs and she Murphys and
the CrOkers and the McLaughlins can be
tolerated as leaders only by a party de-
void OF moral sense, OF honor. and OF
self-respect. Any party depending as 20
its success upon the esteem and con-
fdence Of the people must break down
under such a load.
II is vain 10 say that the bosses have
learned something. and will I'm the future
be careful 10 avoid the errors OF the
past The errors Of the past are the
only kind Of politics they understand
They viii always employ the same
methods, because they do not know any
other They will always do the worst
they dare. They must be made utterly
poweriess TO prevent them from doing
mischief. Their places 81 leadership must
be filed by men who are not only not
their friends, but who are openly and
aggressively their enemies. To effect |
this the party must 80 through a pro-
cess of reorganization in which "har-
mony' with the late bosses is not thought
Of
The signal defeat Of boss rule in this