The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1894-10-26

Party Spirit.

'>"' N"hflhiEh OAtbkN lt
voters back to a choice between tn
two conflicting and enduring ideas y
free government and class govern
mem
Third, fourth and rfty parties hav,
declined into insignihcance. TIL,
mugwump canscarcely be heard. TIL,
Populist Is Important only in tn,
Rocky mountain States, where h,
promises to vote a market for bullion
AT the old price. The Prohibitionist.
who a few years ago f0resaw tho
growth Of a great national anti-saloor
party, now expects nothing more than
TO hold his weakened organization
together.
Mugwump, POpulist, and Prohibi-
Zionist have had time to prove that
they are not capable Of conducting t.
tangible results such beneficial re-
forms as they may support, ever when
they are entrusted with power for
that purpose. Like amateur must.
clans, they set up ideal standards
for others and can rail at faults, but
fall further below their standards and
prove themselves less capable OF sus.
tanned and concerted action when
brought to the test of public perform.
ancc than the poorest Of those they
have attacked.
The Populist has been a conspic-
nous failure. He started out not only
to rcvolutiOnizc the whole scheme OF
government, but the whole cOnstitu.
ton OF society. He obtained some
power, and could not ever learn &c
administer decently the laws he
found. With no exception, populism
has been shallow, ignorant and trilng
in Office. 1t has been a damaging
experiment wherever tried. 1t has
all the vices and weakness Of former
political parties and little OF the
capacity for public business which, to
some extent, the worst OF the strong
parties in the history OF the United
States haye exhibited.
The line Is drawn distinctly between
the party which believes in the people
and the party which distrusts the
people.
In 1889 an administration handed
to its successor a government embar-
raised with one diflculty-tOo much
surplus money in the treasury. In
1893 an administration handed to It's
successor a government embarrassed
with a deficiency SO great and demand
liabilities SO heavy that distrust OF
its currency had produced a panic
which affected all business. In two
years after Harrison went to Wash.
ingt0n the country knew that the
treasury was empty, though the nee.
essary expenses OF the government
had not increased. In eighteen
months after Cleveland took the oath
OF office trade had begun to revive
fast, the tariff was reformed IN the
right direction, II not far enough,
bullion purchases were stopped, fed.
eral expenses were cut down, depart
nient barnacles were scraped of and
fears OF forciblc interference will
home rule ia elections were set at
rest.
There is nothing In populism, pro-
hlbition or mugwumpism for sensible
men to waste time over. All OF them
have proved that If they had power
without opposition their members
could not conduct government. The
choice is between the party that saves
money and the party that corrupts
the suffrage with the bribe OF appro-
prlations and grants OF monopoly
between the party which multiplies
offices to swell power and the party
which abolishes unnecessary Offices to
diminish taxation; between the party
which encourages disorder by inviting
classes to grab from the general fund
and the party which suppresscs dis
order when laws made for the protec.
tlon or equal rights are involved.
md nc thn 1inn In Lz. " "
old forces which have contended since
our government was founded, 1t will
be a benefit If the fight can be made
llerce and aggressive on both sides.
The flercer the fight, the stronger the
men who will be developed into lead
ers. We need bold criticism, aroused
feeling and unsmirched loyalty to
party as the exponent of principle.
Every flaw in the proceedings of the
recent session was due to a slackncss
OF party spirit. There was too much
visiting between the lines. There
was 100 much mixing. 1t got so bad
that on the tariff, the great central
issue OF the preceding campaign, you
could hardly tell some Democratic
Senator'S from their Republican GRO
MES.
Brice and Murphy could not live in
genuine, old-fashioned political
fight. Mckinley and Harrison could
not lead corporals' squads. Such men
would be trodden down and lost.
Nothing stops abuses, a~ccentuates
principles, drives out the thieves and
breeds statesmen like a political fight
that is for political blood at every en-.
counter.
Parties are not made to agree and
iondle each other. When they do,
1000 out for plundering on the sly.
Unless they are kept lighting. men ir