The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-11-05
The TEST OF TUESDAY.
The Significance of the Verdict to BID
Rendered Next Tuesday.
From the New York Herald.

which has controlled the first two years or
the democratic administration. The demo-
cratic party is not on trial. nor can the
verdict. whatever it is. be taken as a re-
buke to or as an approval OF, its time-hon-
ored principles. If the general verdict or
the country next Tuesday is such to in
crease the democratic strength manifested
in the federal elections of two years ago;
If the democratic ma jority in congress IS
augmented by additional representation; if
states heretofore republican become demo-
cratic. or If states now democratic become
more soft, in the general result of next
Tuesday. the party now in power IS
strengthened by the verdict of the people,
then no man in the confines of the repub-
lie will deserve more credit for it than Gro
yer Cleveland. Sweeping democratic sue
cesses everywhere will mean overwhelming
popular approval of his course during the
first two years of his presidency.
If on the other landmark this-tEe
suit OF next Tuesdays elections appears
to reverse the verdict entered two years
ago; if states now democratic become
publican; if a democratic majority in con-
gress of nearly one hundred is greatly re-
duced, or entirely lost; if states now barely
republican return overwhelming republican
maJorlties. and if the aggregate result OF
the election proves to be republican tidal
waye-thea no man in America
hold himself more responsible for the ca
AS a democrat, am ready and willing to
assist in paying the tribute that victory
merits, and ii democratic triumph is the re-
suit of the appeal to the ballot box, then
all democrats should join in praise for Sir.
Cleveland; but if. instead of victory, the
humiliation of defeat follows the unprece-
denied party success of two years ago, then
every democrat will have occasion to find
out where the responsibility lies, and when
found it will be the duty Of the party TO
apply the remedy.
The democratic party cannot be held
sponsible for the doings ana the failure
to do. OF the past two years. The party
has been only nominaIly in power From
the day that it was installed it has been
checked. ignored and deaed by bull-head-
ed and stubborn executive who has demon
strated more than anything else, tho
result of the first two years of his admin
istration, that he cares little or nothing for
the success OF The party which elected him.
lie believed himself TO be bigger than his
party before he was elected the last time.
and since then he knows such TO be the
case. As the result of his conduct and his
attitude of defiance To his party, democrat
ic paralysis has become general. manifest
ing itself in every state election which has
been acid this year. and threatening a IA
tai stroke next Tuesday. Yet in the midst
of the impending storm with his party in
peril, with his own record on trial, with
democrats who have tried TO be loyal TO
him at the sacrifice of their party con-
science in danger OF becoming martyrs at
his altar with the result in his own state
trembling in the balance, he draws himself
in his shell. like a clam. and chuckles at
the anxiety Of his party associates. There
has not been another instance like it since
nero fiddled as Rome burned.
What commentary upon our democratic
president-God save the marks the ru-
h,
ed with conspicuous emphasis in the Wash
ington correspondence of The New York
Herald. that Nj. Cleveland really does
not wish the next house of representatives
to be democratic, ''foreseeins that il would
proba bly, array itself againts him on many
questions. and preferring TO be at variance
with a republican house than with one in
which there was 4 democratic majority"
This. says. the washington correspondent
Of The : - f,s,,-- ~ belief of many lead
ing democrats iii washington, and little
surprise can be felt Il it should be devel-
oped that this is really the explanation OF
Mr.. Cleveland's remarkable course during
the past few months.
on no public questions has the president
agreed with the democratic majority in
the present congress, and he has been
enabled to throttle and defy the democratic
majority solely on account of his readiness
to consort with the republicans TO defeat
his own party. The country would not now
be suffering from the devastating effect OF
the single gold standard had it not been
for the remarkable facility by which the
white house established connection with
the republican minority 10 defeat the demo-
cratic effort to repeal the sherman law
only with substitute legislation guaran-
teaing honest bimetallsm as pledged by
the party platform
The republican combination started Win
the Gresham appointment and the Ju2Ser-
naut has been rolled over the democratic
party from that day until now, and as TO
whether or not the effect has been good
or bad, let the returns Of next Tuesday
hear evidence II that verdict is a demo-
cratic victory overwhelming and unques-
tiouabIc, then the Democratic party has
been wrong and Mr.. Cleveland right such
a verdict would write him as a patriot. II,
on the other hand. the answer to ms OBJ
stinacy and his absolute disregard OF party
success is democratic rebuke and republic
can triumph. then there can be but one
meaning as regards his party's estimate
of Mr. Clevelano-and that viii write him
IS a traitor.
II Mir. Cleveland Is right and the party
is wrong the fact should certainly be mani
tested in the elections in the states o. the
members OF his cabinet. The magnificent
democratic majority of Illinois OF two years
ago viii of course be maintained this year
N The state OF Mr.. Gresham; Mr.. Morton,
of Nebraska, VIII, OF course, Keep that
state in line and least of all can II be
expected that his bitterest political enemy,
the administration oUtcast, Mr. Bryan,
should be elected as the democratic noni-
nee to the United States senate. Mr.
Olney should restore democratic control in
Massachusetts, while in New York demo-
cratic success viii naturally follow the
presidents outspoken and enthusiastic sup
port OF the nominees OF his party in that
state. In Georgia, through the active in
strUmentaiity of Secretary Smith, the ad-
ministgati0ns policy has already been
gloriously sustained by reduction OF the
democratic maJoriiy from IJ,U0j to 1900.
Taken as u whole the elections OF next
Tuesday cannot be regarded as otherwise
than significant Of the attitude OF the
people OF the whole country toward the
policy which has prevailed at Washington
That policy is on trIal-not democratic
principles; the president Is in the balance,
and not the democratic party. Less than
Il week from now ne viii either read as did
BelshaZzer OF old, the Inflated warming:
Thou hast been weighed in the balance
and found wanting" ne viii have the
satisfaction Of receiving in the result OF
the election the national plaudit: Well
DONE thou good and faithful servant
It will be interesting 10 watch for the
verdict. LARK HOWELL.
Editorial Rooms, Constitution.