Huntsville gazette., 1894-05-12
A DEMOCRATIC EPIDEMIC.
Characteristic Conduct of the Party of
Discord.

Characteristic Conduct of the Party of
Discord.
Next to the widespread business de
preston and financial disturbance
which were the first fruits of the great
democratic victory of 1892, and are still
everywhere in evidence, the most stril1-
ing effect of that untoward event was
the outbreak of ill-temper, violent Ian
guage and bad manners in the party
which carried the election. 1t began
in Oregon with coarse and impudent
dispatch from the democratic governor
Of that state to the president of the
United States in answer TO a civil Off
cial communication. 1t was followed
by venomous outburst from the dem
ocratic governor of Illinois against the
judiciary of that state. Gov. Waite, of
Colorado. elected by coalition of dem
ocrats and populists, soon achieved un-
enviable notoriety by the violence of
his language, the recklessness of his
temper and the wildness of his vocifer-
ations. Lewelling, Of Kansas, another
product OF the democratio populist al
lance. already had his state by the
ears and the people embroiled in tur-
moil that came near ending in blood
shed. In South Carolina Gov. Tillman
at once began carrying things with so
high hand as to threaten conflict, not
only with the local opposition, which
he persistently exasperated to a point
beyond endurance, but with the federal
authorities. over which ne assumed su-
periority and whose power he affected
to despise; and he has had his state
two or three times on the verge Of civil
war.
In congress Speaker Crisp has repeat
edly given way to outbursts of ill-tem-
per and exhibitions of bad manners.
Angry with members of his own party
because they would not respond to his
personal appeals to them to discharge
their duty by appearing in their places
and answering to their names at roll
call, he has vented his spleen on repub-
licans, and with such arrogance of
manner as was never known before dis
torted precedents and violated rules in
pursuance of his own purposes and to
crafty his spite. In New Jersey
democratic minority long obstructed
public business trying to defeat by law
lessness the peoples will. But for the
patience of the republican majority
and their confidence in the final tri-
umph Of right through the safe, though
slow, processes Of law the state OF New
Jersey would have been plunged into
condition of anarchy by angry and hot
headed democrats. 1t seems as il an
| epidemic of ill-temper and bad man
ners characterized every where by vio-
lence, lawlessness, coarseness and bru-
tality, had come in with tile party and
overspread the country
Meanwhile, it is hardly necessary TO
add, republicans, true to their tradi-
tions and constantin their temper, look
curiously on, biding their time in pa
thence. while the object lesson is before
the country. Never before in oHr bis
tory did a political party demonstrate
SO quickly after its entrance upon
power its utter rnftuess. 1t has been
in all respects a melancholy expert
ence. and the country will not for
long time entirely recover from it; but
in the end it will prove salutary and
wholesome. Once in a generation. per-
haps, it is necessary that the people
for their sins should endure the ordeal
of democratic administration backed
by a democratic congress. But once Is
epouph.-N Y Tribune.