New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-13
THE PASSING or THE BLATHERShiIE.

There was a time within the memory OF our
hovs who hive not yet reached the voting age
indeed. within our last Olympiad, and follow
ing with the logical precision with which conSe-
ouence comes after cause. the Democratic Ma
,iorol vctorv of 1Sp2-whcn in many sections OF
the South and West there seemed to be a UNI
versal outbreak Of political madness. Demo
cratic success had so disturbed the natural ORDER
thar scum and sediment had become united III
oenerol fermentation. above which was the
omntv froth of lurid rhetoric blown upon by
windy orators rejoicing in the general hullaDaloo
All the forces that had contributed 10 Demo
cratic success were in active operation. increas-
inc the turmoil and adding to the confusion.
Governor Waite Of Colorado was threatening
,hat blood should flow to the horses brides II
his demands were not complied with Governor
e,vallinc az Kansas was emitting shrieks OF
dissatisfaction with existing conditions. GOV
ornor Pennoycr Of Oregon was contributing 10
tho din hv his indecent and insulting messages
to a President elected by his own party Gov
erpor Altgeld Of Illinois was sustaining anarchy
and Iawlessness IN opposition To the Federal
Covernment Governor Stone Of Missouri was
talking I'm q wild loose way about how the farm
ers Of the Mississippi Valley would rise in re-
wolf unless their demand for free-silver coinage
WAS conceded and the fiery. unnamed Governor
Tillman Of South Carolina was engaged in NULL
fvinp the laws of the United States and defylng
the authority Of the Supreme Court.
With all these Wild anarchstic forces in erup-
tion-all of them insisting upon being regarded
rs the essential factors in the Democratic We
tory. and so entitled not only To be heard, but
70 be accorded controlling positions in the Adj
ministratiOn of n Government and the direction
of nublIc affairs-it seemed for a time Is though
hedlam was let loose 1t was rs If the Goddess
of Liberty emblem Of the Republic, had sprung
m thrown off her cap. and, flnglng loose the
decency Of her apparel had seized the blazing
torch. and with wide-open mouth breathing
deoth and destruction, become the incarnation
of War. like the tcrrOr-insplring female figure
which as La Guerre startes the spectator from
the panels of the Arc de Ia TrlOmphe. Nothing
like if had ever been known during any period
when the country was at peace: nothing more
brutalizlnC: nothing that so stirred all the evil
missions and excited boOd-thlrstness. even dur
ing the most heated periods Of the late war
The deveranccs Of these men. who had been
chosen 10 high Office by their constituents, were
such as were intended to alright the tmd while
they set The more courageous of thonghtful
citizens thinking with some seriousness upon
the dangers 10 the public peace which always
lllrk within the privileges and the guarantees OF
popular government and free Institutions.
The period Of that peril to orr scheme of self
government was brief. and. thank God. is rapid
" passing The events of the last three months
have brought us 10 the crisis The ultimate com
mon sense and instinct of common honesty. upon
which in the event the foundations of the Itepub
lie must rest. made quick work of so many OF
these blatant and blood thirsty demagogues as
could be reached by regular processes. Waite was
soon repudiated by the voters Of his own State;
Lewelling was snuffed out Pennoyer is no lon
ger Governor of Oregon. though lingering little
upon public notice as Mayor of Portand Stone
of Missouri has become too ridiculous TO be
much longer tolerated in public life; defeat
awaits Altgeld in Illinois, and even Tillman. who
might be supposed to be firmly fixed in the favor
Of his rock-rbbcd supporters in South Carolina.
has Just sustained q defeat in the choice Of a
United States senator which is only premonliory
of his swift-cOming overthrow. All these have
had their brief and raIstory period of prom
inence, and in some degree of Influence upon cur
rent politics. 1t eliminated when they seized
upon the Democratic National Convention. adopt
ed their own platform, and nominated their own
candidates. And it is we'll that II should be so
Well that they should have had in the first
place. the temporary successes which put them
and their purposes clearly in evidence; and
we'll that after the setback which came TO them
when the people came t. know them that they
should have succeeded once more in carrying
off bodily tie party which had accepted their
alliance and bartered principle and policy in the
, exchange.
There Is no question now as 10 what they mean.
The lines are sharply drawn. The Issue is be-
tween National honor and National dishonor;
between common honesty and theft: between the
orderly processes of Government and the turbu-
lence Of mob rule: between the rule Of reason
and the windy shifts OF demagogues. And no