The Lake Charles echo., 1894-04-13
rHE BEMo9RATTC PARTT



What II the National Demeeratic partyf
f9f fr8tiier what hiss become Of it It not
only seems 10 need q Moses to lead It ont
cf tho wilderness, but a Solomon to inter
pref les savings and promises. If we are
- take the actions and the utterauess Of
q he peoples REPRESENTATIVES in congress
the Democratic slle--and onr president,
G. Cleveland, IL the trne reilectnTB Of
democratic principles. we are confronted
with a puzzle which would discount
fpigs IN elover.1 We daTIbt IT there ever
was time in the history Of our country
when national politics presented such a
mutldle and unsatisfactory asPect. The
matter seems to be narrnwed down to
sellshness The representatives from
each particular stats--alia even district
have some constituents who are lntiuen-
tial IN shaping state OF district politics,
and when q national question arises the
first thing to be considered is show will
the measure affect onr state or district r.
The national veal is not the first but sec
01liaFy consideration. Hence we find it
almost impossible to construct a tariff or
financial bill that will serve the needs of
the people, which can run the gauntlet
Of state and district politics.
The Wilson bill, if ii ever becomes n
law. viii be so disiigured as to be unrec-
ognizable by its creator. And SO it seems
is the result of all measures, no matter
how vital, broad, OF national in bearing,
hence we find the people always more or
less dissatisfied with the dominant party
in control of the national government,
and. always ready to swap horses, even in
the mitldleof the stream
We have mo remedy to offer for the
abatement of this condition of politics.
There is but one and that one is beyond
our making, namely, stItssmanship. We
need great mInds, and not SO many great
men. We believe the late Alexander
Stephens was correct in asserting that
most men are influenced in politics by
aSeFdupOis rather than brain-wheI
money does not figure. Ii seems to he aE
an age of "big men, talking literally
Had Cleveland been physically as smal
as he is mentally, he could never have
become President of the United States
We admire tirmness. 1t is an essentia
quality of greatness, but there is diff
ference between iiTmness and obstinate
opposition to measure which ARE obvious,
in the interest of the masses The veto
of the Bland silver bill is a point. If We
mistake not the temper Of the people
the Democratic party is drifting slowly
inevitably to utter disintegTatin. Moth
ing can save it but the miraculous ap
psaranee of a second Moses, and as the
probability of supernatural interference,
is TateT remote in these latter days, W.
are inclined to the belief that the old shin
is about done fOT.-LOHisiGRd Rerier.
There Is much in the criticism of tn,
Reeje,T of the course Of the democratic
party, and thoughtful democrats shOul,
give it due consideration. We are not
however, disposed to take the melanehol,
view that does the editor of the Rerir,r
for we believe there is yet time enougl
and enOughOf patriotism left in the part,
which numbers many of the brightest an,
best men this country ever produced /,
make amends for the past and redeem tn
lost ground. If, however, the same cours
Of greed and selfshIless is to be continued
then indeed is all lost