Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-05-25
THE DUTY or THE DEMOORA TITO
PARTY


At last there seems to be some prospect
of the passage by the Senate Of a tariff bill
Through the astute manipulation of icon
sentative" Senators 1t will, as 1t leaves the
upper House, conform TO Republican rather
than TO Democratic ideas of tariff legisla
ton, and will embarrass the Democratic
party not little in the approaching Con
gressional election. Naturally, Republican
campaign orators and Republican news
papers will use it TO demonstrate that their
contention for protection pure and simple
has now the endorsement of both political
parties, and that premise once granted, the
Mckinley act or something even more pro-
hibitive than that "crowning atrocity," is
is more logical even than the mongrel Off
spring Of the conservative" junto. If the
Republican party had TO deal only with the
few obstructionist Democrats, ii would be
difficult to combat it's argument, and very
few persons, perhaps would concern them
selves about the fate Of the junto. But
while the events of the past few months
have demonstrated that there are men in
the Democratic party who habitually sub
ordinate party principles and the public
welfare to personal ends, the indignation
with which their conduct has been viewed
has demonstrated quite as fully and strongly
that the rank and file of the party is loyal
and true to the party pledge, and, what is
quite as impo rtant, understands it in all its
bearings both moral and political
If our poitical history has established
anything, it is the robustness-the staying
qualities--of the Democratic party. Re-
peated defeat, outrageous fraud practiced by
its opponents, and occasional contemplate
treachery by those whom it has most favored
and from whom it had right TO expect
most, have been powerless TO shake its stead
fast purpose or divert 1t from the great and
good end for which it has constantly labored.
Even as minority party it has accomplished
much good by its watchfulness and its warn
ings. The spirit with which it has received
this latest effort to place it in false and
weak position proves that the old blood still
courses through its veins as strongly as ever.
and though 1t may be checked in It's career
by the secret plottings of some of its cap.
tains, it still recognizes that it has work to
do and is undismayed by the task.
There has been nothing in the signs of the
times to prove that the verdict of 1899 is not
still the judgment Of the American people.
There is a wide spread distrust OF some men,
it is true, and if they are to remain in the
leadership the distrust will eventually ex-
tend to the whole party. A bad king or a
bad president does not prove that the people
whom he governs are either bad or disoyal,
nor can unreliable party leaders, real or pre-.
tended, permanently dsparage party, I'M
less, after their treachery, the people con.
tinue them in power. And as people are
most intensely loyal TO government when
they overthrow those who weakly or cor.
rupty administer it, so party will best
show its adhesion TO principle and best es.
tablish its claim to support by deposing
those who betray it.
All who have followed the political biog-
raphy of these men know that they do not
intend TO relinquish power if they can help
it. They will plot and intrigue for it all the
more secretly and keenly, now that the eye
of suspicion is on them. But they should
not be trusted. The very highest duty OF
the Democratic party at this moment-a
duty which il owes TO itself and to the coun-
try-is to teach the men who have brought
shame and dishonor upon 1t, that they have
reached the end of their career and that the
commands of the party must be obeyed
The tariff fight is still on, and will be until
II is settled upon lines that appeal to the
common sense and judgment of the people
Such a settlement would have been reached
ere this, SO far as fundamental principles
are concerned, If conservatives" had pos
sessed the courage and candor to express
their real opinions.
But their detection neither destroys the
merit OF the cause nor absolves the party
from its duty to fight it out to the end The
cause is as important, the duty as impera
tive as ever, and the peoples day is at hand
Let them select as their candidates men of
character and of truth and they will triumph
speedily. II they continue in power those
who have betrayed them, years hence they
will be still floundering in the slough of de-
spondency and struggling with conditions
which make life scarce worth the living.
- . -
Mr.. Charles Ridgely Goodwin, who was
recently appointed by President Cleveland
Surveyor of the Port of Baltimore, died on
Saturday last at his home, 900 St. Paul