The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-03-15
STEER BY THE COMPASS.

The season of the year is now upon
us when those who study the weather
know not what an hour may bring
forth. The powers of the air seem in
a tickle mood, and while we may wake
up in the morning to find the sun
shining brightly we are perfectly well
aware that we may have rain,
snow, sleet and tempest, with glim-
merings ofsunlight again before night.
The weather itself seems undecided
what to do. We have become accus-
toned to take this condition of things
philosophically for we know from ex-
perience that it can not last forever.
and that soon all this variety and
changeableness must give way to the
steady and healthful glow of summer.
The winds and frosts must retire to
the Businesses of the North to make
room for backs of sweet scented flow
ers and fields of waving grain.
A condition something akin to April
weather appears to exist in the politi-
cal sky. Party leaders on all sides are
extremely chary about making pre-
dictions and no one with any reputa-
ton for sagacity pretends to fortell
the immediate probabilities. The
winter of discomfort brought about
by the dull, pinching times we have
been passing through has made men
Indifferent in their fealty to party and,
buffetted by the blasts of adversely,
they are ready in many cases to
crawl under the first platform that
offers shelter, not waiting to investi-
gate whether it be safe or not.
Thus we find many cropping in the
dark who have almost lost faith in
the belief of their fathers, the political
creed formulated by Thomas Jeffer
son, out of elements which have existed
since the world began, and, like a
christian cast away for time in hea.
then lands, are ready to press their
lips to a stone in blind apostatic eff
fort to propitiate the powers of the
storm. We find in some portions of
our country the Populists claiming
support for their visionary and com
munistic doctrines and holding out
promise of relief from the consequences
of thirty years of paternal rule by
setting up a government many times
more paternal and enslaving. In some
sections men are trying to build up
party on the one issue of free coinage
of silver, forgetting that their success
must mean their ruin for,if free coin
age is all that is necessary to bring
about a return of prosperity, then as
soon as their object was accomplished
the necessity for their party would
be gone and it would cease to exist.
In various parts of the Union the A.
p. A. is trying to work the same old
game which was played by Know
nothingism forty years ago, and which
must fail as signally. Everywhere we
find the Republican party, loud-voiced
and blatant in denunciation of Demo
cracy, but with not one idea advanced
for relief. Its leaders are powerful in
criticism but they are utterly impotent
and feeble when the gavel is thrust
into their hands, for their efforts can
only tend to destroy the temple and
not to repair it.
When a mariner is caught in foul
weather at sea among reefs and cur
rents, he knows all he has to do to come
safely out is to steer by the light and
his compass. They were made for his
protection and never go wrong. The
duty of every lover of his country and
of good government is equally plain.
The Democratic party is the party
of the people and for the people and its
principles are those of eternal liberty.
1t is not party of one idea nor are
its ideas applicable only to one period
of time. They will be necessary in
this world while ever the strong shall
endeavor to Cypress the weak and as
long as demagogues and cranks shall
exist and endeavor to lead their fell
lows away from the principles of com
mon sense. Its foes at present seem
to have the better of it, but they bear
about the same relation to it as does
the lichen to the rock it covers. The
Republican party was formed for one
purpose and accomplished it, and
while it may keep alive for time and
even achieve success on temporary is
sues, it must soon pass away. The
principles of Populism are as false as
they are pernicious and can never be-
come the foundation of an abiding par
ty. Those who desire the remonetiza-
ton of silver will soon find that one
plank is not sufficient for q plat
form and will be content to rely upon
the Democratic party to do justice
between capital and poverty. As fer
the A. p. A.-Knownothingism had
its Brutus.