Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-08

appeared in recent issues of your
Journal two articles, one entitled 1.-The
Failure of the Democratic Party" the
I other IAN Anti-snapper's View" In
the first article the writer appears to
me to be entirely too premature in pro.
nouncing upon the "failure of the Demo-
cratic party" The Democratic party has
been nominallY in complete control Of
the national government for scarcely
year. Actually, according to our alb
surd system, by which members of Con-
gress do not take their seats until over
year after their election, it has been in
+ power barely six months. During that
period it has accomplished two measures
of large Importance to the country, and
placed another, vitality affecting every
interest and individual in the land, and
demanded by an overwhelming majority
of the people, on the road to compile
ton. 1t has repealed the Sherman silver
law and the Federal elections law, and
has passed bill reducing the tariff
duties, for the first time in nearly 80
years, through the lower branch of Con-
gress. For six months this does not
appear TO me to be such a bad record.
{ Certainly it is not just to say, in the
face of it, that the party has failed" 1t
will be conceded, too, by every impair
tial observer that the Democratic party
returned to power under exceedingly
unfaVorable and trying auspices. Every
body knows that President Harrison, at
the end of his term, was driven to the
most desperate eXpedients to avoid
national bankruptcy. 1t was only by
the most ingenious juggling Of figures
q lya Gum n L.,
shown in the national treasury, and
shortly after Mr.. Cleveland assumed
power he was faced by deficit OF
$70,0O0,000 in place of the $1S5, 100000
surplus that he had left for Mr.. Harri-
son. The Dependent Pension bill which
Mr.. Cleveland vetoed during his first
term, but which Mr.. Harrison after
wards signed, and added 5000, 900 per
year to our national expenditures, the
vicious Sherman law, and other evils of
Mr.. Harrison's term, helped to bring
about the panic of last year, from which
we are still suffering, and for which tine
Democratic party is obliged to bear the
brunt The masses of the people do not
stop to reason about thing OF this sort.
They suffer themselves, and, not un-
naturally, make the party in power
suffer also. Those of US, however, who
do stop to think about the matter should
not be led into the same error.
There are, OF course, corrupt elements
IN the Democratic party, and leaders
who are doing all in their power to
thwart Mr. Cleveland's administration
and block the work of reform. But
there are the same elements and the
same leaders in the Republican party.
Hill, Murphy and German are not a
whit worse than Quay, Chandler and
Cameron. To be sure, two wrongs dc
not make right, but l claim that, with
all its blunders and vagaries, the heart
Of the Democratic party, so to speak, is
in the right place. The men who com
pose the administration at Washington
and the controlling element in Congress
represent positive force toward better
government and toward reform-reform
in our tariff laws, reform in our pension
laws, reform in our civil service. Mr.
Clevelands Hawaiian policy, as en-.
dorsed by the House of Representatives
shows that the policy of the Democratic
party in dealing with other nations il
one of honesty, justice and fair play
in marked contrast to the Republican
party's CHILEAN policy of bullying anC
braggadocio. If we are to Judge b,
Mr.. Harrison's administration, thu
tendency of the Republican party i.
as distinctly downward as that of til,
Democratic party is upward. Til,
Mckinley bill, the Force bill, the De
pendent Pension bill, "Wanamakerism !
are the results of that administration
The duty of good Democrats, it appear
to me, therefore, is not to leave tAei
party to join the Republicans, but t,
crush the corrupt element in their owl
party, at the cost Of temporary defeat
in order that, strengthened and reyiyi
fed, 1t may go forward in the grea
work before it. In IAN Anti-snapper'
View" the writer, it seems TO me, doe
Mr.. Cleveland manifest injustice. In tn,
first place, he starts out with the assump
ton that Mr.. Cleveland owes his nomi
nation at Chicago to the anti-snappe
movement, and should therefore shan
his whole administration in acknowledg
ment of that fact. Mr.. Cleveland wa!
nominated at Chicago by the Irresistible
and Spontaneous force of popular senti
ment Neither Mr.. Whitney nor tn
anti.snappers can claim the sole credi
for that result They aided in it, but MI
Cleveland would have been nominated
without their aid. The people demande
his nomination, and nothing short of hi
death could have prevented il, All thos
disinterested observers at Chicago VIII
witnessed the manifestation of this won
derful popular sentiment for Mr.. Cleye
land will testify as to the truth of thi
assertion.
II is absurd to say that the Illinoi
delegation insisted upon the nomjpa
ton Of Mr.. Morrison" The sentimen
in Illinois for Mr.. Cleveland was over
Whelming, and the delegation simpt
voiced it-they did not dare do othel
wise. The result of the election in this
State proves the truth of this. tn
writer of San Anti-snapper's View
admits that the anti-snappers "too
hardly any part in the campaign" i
New York State, yet Mr.. Cleyelan
carried it by $4,000 majority. Tn
does not indicate any very extensiy
treachery on the part of the Sta
machine. Certainly there was nor
In this city, as the 'anti-snappers" hay
themselves over and over again testiiiet
When Mr.. Cleveland went to Washin.
ton, he did not, therefore, probably, fe
Justified in making direct war on I'll
regular organization in this State, I
say, however, that from then "unt
now be has been engaged in strengthen
ing the machiue in this State" is TO so
what is palpably false and absurd. II
writer himself as much as admits th
when he says that Mr.. Cleveland ''al
pointed anti-snappers to office"
acknowledgment of Tammany Hall
loyalty to the national ticket Mi. Dayto
was appointed postmaster in this cit
This has been the only patronage"
speak OF bestowed upon the machin