Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-31
TROY, N. Y.

to awaken or change their ideas. It is
true that some parts of the South have
been opened by the industrious hand of
Northern toll, and the people there have
acquired some ideas of what the future
of their part Of the country will be if the
proper system be maintained. But this
is not general in the South, aud the re-
suit is that Southern men come to Con-
gress, controlling the Democratic party
by reason of their majority, and endeav-
or TO accomplish results which are abso-
lutely inconsistent with the business in
terests of this country.
1t would be great mistake for the
united states to suppose that the action
OF the Senate, so much blamed by the
Democratic party, and so much attacked
by the people of the country in general.
was to be deemed entirely the result of
personal feeling The truth is that the
action of the conservative Senators on
many subjects is the result, not of their
individual opinions, but the result of the
business interests which surround them.
A Senator from the State of New jersey
could not be reckless with the business
interests OF his constituency, like a Sen
ator from Arkansas; and even a Senator
from Arkansas, like Mr.. Jones, who has
devoted patience and intelligence to this
tariff question, although not surrounded
by business interests which control him,
was lrreslshbly borne in the direction of
body.
'The reason why the Democratic party
has been failure is a reason so simple
that it is wonder that we did not un-
derstand more fully and completely that
this result must take place. 1t was in
evitable. The Democratic party has had.
IN the last 30 years, no underlying prin-
ciple on which it was united from one
end OF the country to the other. This is
not said as reproach; it is simply said
as an historical fact. That such should
be the fact, also, is entirely natural. A
party which has been in the minority for
long period of time gathers together
all the people who are opposed to the
party actually in power, and opposed for
different reasons. 1t is only when they
endeayor to combine and to take positive
and affirmative action themselves, that
we begin to realize the tremendous di-
versity of opinion which was masked un-
der the seeming unanimity of opposition.
That the lncapacity to control was so
great as has been shown during the past
year, no one ever dreamed. Not even
the bitterest enemy of the Democracy
ever prophesied any such thing as has
actually become the history of the coun-
try. That they should fall short of an
exhibition of ability to run the country
in manner suitable and satisfactory to
its people seemed foregone conclusion;
but that they should make failure in
every way was something not to be an
ticipated. Least of all was it tanticipated
nv ma 1,p o1v not
ed with the Democratic party and who
wished to act with it up TO the end of
time.
"That those men, while they have had
objections, strong objections, some of
them perhaps well founded, against the
acts and against the general course of
the Republican party, may now see that,
on the whole, the safety of the country
requires the restoration of that party to
power, is the real hope of the Nation to
day. The lesson of the past year, while
it has been disastrous to the material
interests of the country, if it should re-
suit in a more thorough appreciation of
the actions and deeds of the party which
was in control of this country from 1860
onward, the country will wrest out of
the misfortune a blessing. In saying
this do not in the least Over-value the
capacity or the strength or the ability OF
the Republican party. know how ofS
ten it falls short of the highest good; l
know how often it disappoints the ex-
pectations of its best men, but that it eX-
presses, on the whole, and with all al
lowances for the mistakes which are in
cident to human nature, the best devel-
opment of this country, is, to mind, true
beyond question or doubt, and to-day L
think may urge upon the many men
who have hitherto acted with the Demo
cratic party to take this view of their
duty in the future"