The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-14
Unfit to G Govern.

Published at the national capital
where it has every facility for securing
prompt and accurate information as to
men and parties, the Washington Post
has become, with the addition of wise
editing, one of the strongest organs of
popular opinion in the United States.
AT times it has leaned toward the De-
mocracy and attimes ithas appeared to
evince kind of cynical delight in Civ
ing the Republican party a shade the
worst fit. Butin this crisis of national
depression it has awakened to the cold
truth of Democratic worthlessness and
its acknowledgment of this discovery is
significant at this time. We quote
from its issue of Wednesday last
"When the Democratic party made
its first cowardly dicker with Populism
by incorporating the income tax in its
scheme of government, the Post ex-
pressed the opinion that it had forfeited
the respect and confidence of intelli-
gent men. When the house leaders
announced their purpose of destroying
and crippling American industries in
pursuit of crazy chimera of economic
reform, the Post branded them as un-
fit for leadership. When, after the
victory achieved for common sense and
patriotism and national prosperity by
the courage of few Democratic sena-
tors, Mr.. Wilson proclaimed amidst
uproarious applause that he intended
to perpetuate the agitation of his fan
tastic and hysterical philosophy, the
Post prophesied that the American
people would repudiate party capable
of such insensate mischief and folly.
And when the news from Maine came
in on Monday night, the Posts COM
ment on the figures was but the logical
corollary of these antecedent PROPOSE
tions and demonstrations.
"The country is tired of unrest and
agitation and suspense. Our industries
have been PROSTATE for more than two
years. Commerce has languished, trade
and manufactures have reached their
lowest ebb, hundreds of thousands Of
our people have been reduced to want,
the land has tainted in the shadow of
a great calamity. The people, need a
new dispensation, they need peace, Sc
curity and confidence, they need re-
sumption of industrial activity, and
emancipation from the fetters of de-
spair. And if the Democratic leaders
of the house propose, as they have said,
to come back here next winter to re-
new the strife and turmoil from which
we have just emerged and to suspend
material progress while they indulge
in agitating controversy, why then the
people will achieve their own salvation
by snatching power from hands so
shamefully incapable of using it bene-
ficently.
1--WE have desired. and still desire.
the success of the incumbent admins
tration. We should be glad to see the
Democratic party win undying glory
by making the country prosperous and
happy. That party is in power at last
after thirty years of exile, and it is, for
the time being, the only source of reme-
dial and benefcent legislation. We
have hoped, and we still hope, that it
will rise to the measure of the splendid
opportunity. But no Legislation is
preferable to bad and improvident leg
islation; the defeat of the Democratic
party is preferable to ruin of the Amer
lean people. And if the leaders are
bent on perpetuating the suspense and
the tribulation of the past two years,
we shall contemplate its retirement
with resignation too complete for
words.n
This is pretty nearly the exact opin
ion of every American gifted with the
power of thinking and reasoning. 1t
reaches the heart of the general belief
concerning the modern Democracy;
the belief that however inocuous that
party may be when divested of power,