The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-12-14
DlssENsloNs IN DEMOCRACY.
The Wings of the Party Do Not Flap
In Unison.

tn tnisOns
The only source of comfort for the
democrats in the matter of their recent
terrible defeat is the theory that they
were beaten by the stay-at-home vote.
They point to the fact that their party
did not anywhere poll its full strength.
and claim that this indicates only that
a large number of democrats neglected
to vote without intending to promote
republican success: but they do not
tell us why all these democrats re-
manned away from the polls. The
campaign was certainly an active one.
and the Importance of the election was
well understood. Every democrat
knew that the question involved was
that of indorsing or condemning the
course of his party since it assumed
control of the government. There
could not have been a stronger induce
ment presented for a man to vote who
believed in that party aud wished to
see it prosper; and yet we are asked
to accept the idea that tens of thou
sands of good democrats deliberately
staid at home and allowed the repub-
licans to achieve one of the most
notable victories in the history of our
politics. 1t will not do to say that
they were simply Indifferent, or that
they did not see the necessity of casting
Sheir ballots. The average democrat
is best known by his eagerness to vote
as often as possible; and when he
misses an opportunity of that kind we
may be sure that he is influenced By
considerations of more than ordinary
force and significance.
l.. the present instance the explana-
tion lies in the fact that the democrat
ie party is hopelessly divided against
itself. 1t has two wings that cannot
be made to flap in harmony; the an
tagonism between them is so pro-
nounced and acrimonious that either
of them is less willing to see the other
succeed than to permit the party as
party to be defeated. The main
causes of dissension are the tariff and
the currency, and the line of di
yision is as much sectional one
IS that which used to exist on
the slavery issue. 1t is well known
:hat the eastern democrats are quasi
Crotectionists and anti-inflationists,
while the western and southern dem
ocrats are tariff smashers and free
silverites. These differences are of a
kind that cannot be compromised, and
the more they are discussed the wider
the breach becomes. Thus the ties
that bind men to the party are loosened.
the advantages of discipline are lost
and defeat is invited by lack Of
conference and unanimity- The recent
campaign was one of constant pulling
at cross purposes on the part of these
two elements. They were not united
upon principles or policies, and the
result was not only a large desertion
from the party, but still larger re-
fusal to vote because of the feeling
that it was better for the republicans
to win than for democratic trifiing and
duplicity to be encouraged There is
little hope of improvement in this re-
spect. The eastern element of the
party entertains views that the west
ern and southern contingents will not
adopt; and it is just as certain that
the opinions held by these latter con-
tingents will never be adopted by the
eastern element. 1t is an irreconcila-
BILE separation, an irrepressible con-
fiict- The democrats who stayed at
home this year are likely to do the
same thing two years hence; or. il
they vote. the majority of them will
be more apt to support the ticket OF
some other party than that of the one
with which they have heretofore
Louis Globe-DemOcrat.