Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-11-29
A DEMOCRATIC "REMINISCENCES

/ DNVShAiAC hEA1NlSCENCE.
A prominent Democrat of thil
city handed MS the following articl,
ion the history of the Democrat,
party from his scrap book. 1t wa,
written just after the last sprins
elections:
The reverse of the spring election:
following the November disappoint
ments have set the Democrats te
thinking, though unhappily, not in
a way to bring about the best results,
Already they are viewing with ap.
prehension the prospect of losing the
next House, which will be a steu
toward tha loss of the Presidency
two years later. In this melancholy
frame of mind they turn to the
fcheery promises of the South, which
are in effec! that they may rely
on 129 Democratic members from
that section, leaving only fifty to be
elected from the North to secure a
majority. The question then pre-.
sents itself for the amusements of
the country: If the Democrats can
not maintain a quorum and transact
business whit a majority of eighty.
two, how can they be expected to
| accomplish anything with majority
of one?
The fact is that the Democracy
counts too much on the mistaken
feeling of the country. 1t assumes
sense of public confidence which
does not exist. For nearly forty
years the country has not dared to
trust the Democratic party except
when ii was dominated by a remark
able personality, was led by man
in whose strength of character and
obstinate integrity assurance could
be found Mr.. Tilden was leader
of this stamp; so was Mr.. Cleveland.
Both had waged a war reform in
New York, and both had fought it
out with Tammany. The country
respected and trusted these two great
leaders, and conceded power to the
Democracy while it followed their
guidance. But when the party de-
serted Mr.. Tilden in 1880 then the
country deserted the party and trust
ed it again only when MIR. Cleveland
rose up as another reformer and safe
guide. Again the Democratic party
has turned away from its leader and
again the country is showing by a
series of overwhelming defeats its
lack of confidence in Democracy on
the go-as-you-please plan.
Democrats are slow to see and to
learn, or they would recognize the
hopelessness of their course. The
opportunity was given to them to
legislate so wisely that their power
might have been extended indefin-
itely, I'D in one year they have SO
wrecked themselves lncc' there is alb
solutely no promise ahead. Their
platform was explicit and satisfac-
tory; their leader was competent
and high in public favor. Nothing
seemed easier than their path of
duty. But their first act was to
quarrel with their President, which
was merely the preliminary to a
repetition of the exhibition of ire
sponsibility, treachery and stupidity
associated with a rudderless DEM
ocracy. The Republicans are al
ways quick witted enough to profit
by the blunders of their adversaries.
Were they to take advantage of the
criminal neglect Of the present Con-
gress to pass a tariff measure In ac.
cordance with the reasonable de-
sires of the country, they would de-
prive the Democracy of its last cam
paign argument for years to come.
The people are as anxious to-day
for tariff reform as they we're in 1891
and 1892, and the Republican
leaders know it. These leaders
have always contendcd that re-
form must come through the Re-
publican party. What an oppor-
tunity may present itself to justify
that boast! And what humiliation
for the Democracy, which has shown
itself unfit to promise and incapable
to perform!