The sun., 1894-11-08
The Wreck OF Democracy.

To get at the primary cause Of this coun-
try's revolutionary return to the dominion
of the Republicans, we must first look at
the part played in the election by the Popu-
lists. Populism is mixture of Socialism
and insanity. It is either hostile and repug-
nant to the spirit of this Democratic land, or
it Is foreign to 1t. We have not reached
the intellectual or political degradation at
which Populism can prosper. How great =
factor it has been in producing the recent cleo
tion, will be seen from a study of national
politics as It is revealed after less than two
years control by an Administration, which
has dealt to public confidence the blow of
repudiating the Democratic principles 1t
stood for when elected, and OF setting up
un-American and infammatory Populistic
standards in their stead.
The Republicans have now swept back
into their fold all their recently wandering
Northern and Western States, with majori-
ties in some instances greater than ever, the
four Northern States. Indiana, Connecticut,
New York, and New Jersey, where after the
war, the Democratic party finally rose in
strength sufficient to restore itself to the
control of the Government. and in addition
the Southern States of Tennessee Maryland
and Delaware. This is the situation In 1894.
1t is not difficult to see the reason for it.
In Nebraska, for example, the Democratic
party this year endured the unknown hui
initiation of being no longer one OF the two
parties contesting for the control of the
State. The voters who desired to protect
the politics and the business of Nebraska
from the disgrace and destructiveness of
Populism. and preserve the main ideas with
which, ~ Democrats OF Republicans in
discriminatory, they had always been asso-
ciated, found the Republicans TO be the
party to which they must turn for succor.
The Democratic citizens of Nebraska had
to join the Republican ranks. Their own
organization had been disbanded for the
benefit of the Populists, and there was no
other way of resisting Populism.
In Colorado the movement to eject the
Populist WAITE of the bloody brides"
was for the same reasons consolidated under
the Republican flag.
In Nevada the Republicans again were
left as the sole defenders of the essential
and elementary ideas of American politics
and all Democrats who fought the Populists
had to wear Republican badge.
In North Dakota, where the Republicans
likewise presented their regular party front.
the single Democrat on the Populist ticket
only served to exhibit more unmistakably
the repulsive character which had been
given TO his own party. What Democrats
in these States were themselves confronted
with Democrats elsewhere from Maine to
California were forced 70 see and to blush
for, and to acknowledge 70 other onlookers,
IS proof of their party's vitiatiOn.
While these four States form the most
conspicuous instances of the Democraey's
degrading alliance or pusillAnimous sur
render, they surmount a mass of sVi-
dsnoe To similar facts spread throughout
the country in Congress districts and In
canvasses for State Legislatures
In the South, notably in the State Of
Georgis, for instance, which has elected
solid Democratic Congress delegation in this
year Ct Republican triumph, the Democratic
party is more nominal than real, and calcu-
lated to repel rather than to invite the CO.
operation Of old believers in the faith. The
Hon. CHARLES FREDERICK CRISP, Speaker Of
the House Of. Representative, is an un-
qualified advocate Of the POpulistic ia-
come tax, as are most Of his ESsO-