The Louisiana populist., 1895-08-16
DEMOCRACY is GONE.
DIVIDED BEYOND ALL HOPE OF
UNITED ACTION.
Tho Party is Split Wide Open Like .
Boot-Jack, and Not Even MiIton's
Pantoon Bridge Over Chaos Could Span
the Chasn" Between Them.

The Democratic party is split wide
open like book-jack, and not even
Milton's pontoon over Chaos could
bridge the chasm. 1t has long heen
composed of many discordant ele-
ments held together with a rope OF
sand, and is now in the throes of dis
ruption. While out of power ii
was possible for the free-traders and
. ..Sam Randall Democrats, the BIZ
metallists aud gold-buggers to move
In solid phalanx upon the fieshpots;
but when victory perched upon the
party banner the various factions
began TO fight for supremacy
aud disintegration followed as a mat
ter OF course. The Chicago platform
was desiguedly framed to catch votes
of all the ''outs." Victory was the
chief desideratum, principle but
secondary consideration. The good
of the party, not the good of the
country, was the dominating idea OF
the committee on resolutions. As a
''cowardly makeshift" the Sherman
silver law was not a circumstance to
the national Democratic platform
which condemned it. 1t was
a fagrant example OF the
pot animadverting on the CON-
plexion OF the kettle-of the
devil rebuking sin. The tariff and
the currency were the only important
issues before the people, and the
tariff and the currency planks of the
Chicago platform are simply sibylline
oracles which the party leaders inter-
preted to suit the temper OF the peo-
pie Of the different states. Every man
of average intelligence knows this to
be true. The party stopped to con-
quer. and it stopped SO low that its
nose stuck fast ia the mire of double
dealing and the wind Of public opin-
ion soon began taking liberties
with the narrative of it's Meth
er garment. Those too intelli-
gent to be deceived and
too honorable to connive at political
trickery were branded as TRAITORS"
IL they dared to file protest, and
the party went up like rocket-then
exploded, filling the heavens with the
smell of sulphur. The Democracy
took charge OF the government, pros
perity was slain in the war of factions
and soon the party planted by Jeffer-
son and watered by Madison became
a byword and q reproach. What is
left of this once glorious political
brotherhood is now divided into two
,beIligerent camps, each striving des-
perately to exterminate the other.
Let 'em fight. Whatever the result,
Democracy will thenceforth signify
something something more than an
Omnium-gatherum of political odds
and ends. hoodooed and humbugged
by handful of plotting politicians
whose only god is greed. Meantime
the professional peacemaker is abroad
in the land. bcseeching the brethren
to ''settle all their differences inside
the party" He's the charmer whose
siren song was heard at Chicago and
Dallas conventions pleading for har-
mony-for the sake of pie. He it
was that yoked the stupid free
silver OK and the long-sared gold bug
ass to the Cleveland car of jugger-
naut that has crushed commerce and
mangled industry. He it was that
..harmonized" fire and gunpowder in
the Democratic ark OF the covenant
then spilled his salt tears over the
fragment. He it is that is again cry
ing, peace, peace;" but there is no
peace; the struggle Is already on.
The Democrats have learned
that even political honesty
is the best policy. They
are weary OF compromises. They
are tired OF qualification. They are
determined that there shall be no
more sacrifice of principle for the
sake of disastrous victories. 1t Is the
most encouraging sign the Democracy
has shown during recent years. But
whether the OK do gore the ass. the
ass cave in the ribs of the OK, or they
do kill each other. matters but little;
the American government will still
live. --Brann's (Waco) Iconoclast
~