New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-08
TILE SANE OLD PARTY.

History IS repeating itself. The Democratic
party is repeating at Chicago today the history
it made for itself at Charleston thirty years
ngo. Through all the amazing vicIssitudes Of
the intervening period, the defeats and disas-
tiers it has sustained. the changes of front as
new Issues have arisen. the temporary Sic
cesses which in Its hands have turned to ashes.
the turnings and twistlngs by which 1t has I'M
dcrtaken TO reconcile the irreconcilable and hold
together hostile factions and heterogeneous ele
ments, the party has been the same In spirit
and purpose and temper. At Charleston, In
1860, there was the same disposition to swagger
and carry things with high hand as has mani
tested itself in all the preliminaries and in the
opening scenes Of the convention now on view
at Chicago The people who are doing 1t In
Chicago today are the llneal successors Of the
DULLES and swaggerers Of n generation ago.
Altgeld. Tillman and the rest arc the descend
ants In the direct line of the Southern fire.
eaters, who would listen TO no compromise and
accept no terms but were bent on having their
own way whatever happened to their party or
the country. So, too, David Il. Hill. William c.
Whitney and their gOld-standard associates,
who appear to be making determined fight
against the frce-silver DULLES but are all the
IL
successors of Fernando Wood and the New-YOrk
"Softs' of the Charleston Convention, while
George Fred Williams George Fred isn't
anybody's lineal successor; he Is his own an
cestor; as Tiberius said Of Rufus, descended
from himself"
The DULLES and swaggerers Of the Charles
ton Convention were In a minority. They had
peculiar notions as to labor; as to its rights, its
privileges and its wages; that is, they believed
that 1t had no rights and 10 privileges and no
claim to wages They had Il labor system
which included these conditions. 1t was local
and sectional, but they demanded that it should
be made National and universal. And they
made their demand with threats and violent
language in precisely the temper and much the
same terms in which Altgeld and Tillman are
enforcing their demands for free silver at Chi
cagO today. Being In n minority at Charleston,
they followed ont the swaggcr policy by break
Ing up the party, and tllcn undertaking to break
ND the Union. 1t cost something TO convince
the swnggerers OF 1860 that. though they might
browbeat and bully the Democratic party. they
could not bully the American people. But II
was worth all II cost. Once In generation II
seems necessary TO take the Democratic party
by the throat and say to it: ''Sit down and shut
"up. You may scare each other Into cold
"shiver. but the American people are not 50
easily frightened by empty buster"
History may not be repeating itself In the
event or precisely in the processes. bnt II IL
repeating Itself In the demonstration Of the dis
position and temper Of the Democratic party.
Altgeld and Tillman are representing In the
most striking aud fOrcible manner the spirit
which manifested itself I'm 1850 at Charleston
to the breaking up of the party and subsequent
effort 10 destroy the Union, while Hill and Whit
ncy are opponents Of the trucking disposition
Of the Northern Democrats, who were willing
to make any concession to the Are-eaters In