The Van Buren press., 1895-11-16
The Lesson Of the Election.

From the st Louis Post Dispatch.
The late elections make it plain that
under the present leadership OF the two
parties and with the issues that have
been forced to the front the country is
overwhelmingly Republican. And
properly so. The Democrats have not
only stolen the clothing of the Republi-
cans, but have exaggerated the styles.
Sherman has been set up as the patron
saint of the Democracy in place of JEFF
ferson and Jackson. and it was to be
expected that if the people are to wor-
ship at the shrine of Sherman. they
prefer to do it in the temples which the
Republicans have erected. plutocracy
and its fetch. There is no room in this
country for two great parties devoted to
the Sherman cult.
The Republican victory is sweeping
along the line In the East, where il
was claimed that Cleveland S adoption
of the Sherman policy would strengthen
the Democratic party, the defeat is just
as inglorious as in the West and South
Even the President S own state. New
York. when offered the alternative of
indorsing Republican policies with
Democrats to carry them out. or Re
publican policies to be engineered by
Republicans, have chosen the latter by
tremendous majority. The one great
lesson of the elections is that the people
of the United States prefer ayowed Re
publicans to Democrats masquerading
in Republican clothes.
When the Democratic party frees it
self from its barnacles when it musters
the backbone to thrust out the traitors
who have sold it out to trusts and pluto
Gratis when it calls halt on compro-
misses and trades with its enemies. and
when IL musters courage 10 make a
square standup fight before the people
and in behalf of the people for essential
Democratic principles, it will win. The
late elections demonstrate that il
cannot win by blowing through Repub-
lican horns and trailing along behind
the Republican procession. Over and
over again the people of this country
have shown that they will rally TO the
to fight for its principles.
Amid yesterday S wreekage there are
| to be found few signs that Democrats
are discovering what ails them and are
throwing off the incubus. Wherever
the Democratic voters got chance they
repudiated the alliance with plutocrats
German was erushingly defeated in
Maryland and Briee was showed under
in Ohio. in spite of his attempt 10 crawl
into the senate again under the cloak Of
Campbell popularity.
| These are the distinct Democratic
gains in the late elections. The first
step towards the restoration Of party
vigor is to lop off the alien and unwhole-
some excreseenees that have fastened
themselves upon its organism. With
out German, Maryland is still Demo,
cratic state. Without Brice. the
Democrats have still a nearly even
chance of carrying Ohio. However
plutocrats may label themselves, their
affiliations are necessarily with Repub-
licanism and when they get into Office as
Democrats their value to Repuhlieanism
is doubled. They are enemies in camp
and are certain when the issue is finally
joined to betray their constituents.
The great fight of the future. to
which all other issues are gradually
becoming subordinated, is the fight be
tween the people and plutoeraey. The
Democratic party, the ancient and his
toric friend of the people, must strip
herself for the fight.