The herald., 1896-04-14
ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCES

One would imagine from the hula
baloo being raised by the press and poll
ticians of the Republican party that the
latter is the only political organization
on the face of the United States, and
that the people are simply waiting for
the ST. Louis convention to nominate
a candidate, after which they will call
the thing settled. But the fact that
the Republican party at present enjoys
a monopoly of political noise by no
means indicates that it has a monopoly
of votes. 1t is in the nature of the Re-
publican party to make racket. 1t
has always been a "whoopla' party
addicted to spreadeagleism and claim
ing everything in sight, as we'll as a
good deal out of view. 1t is a. party
that rests on personality rather than
principle. and noise. flamboyancy and
bumptious assertiveness always distin-
guish the former from the latter. Such
an organization can have no perma-
nent, unalterable creed, for 1t worships
men rather than principles, and subor-
dinates in consequence the latter to
the former. The Democratic party on
the other hand is made up, in the Ian
many who suffer and the few who
think" and is engrossed in the thought
full consideration of measures instead of
men. 1t turns to the latter only as the
instrumentalities through which the
measures it believes in may be ad-
vanced. Its enthusiasm for a man is
entirely dependent on the degree to
which he embodies in himself the best
thought Of the party. 1t builds its
platforms to suit the doctrines of the
party and not to harmonize with the
needs of any individual, no matter how
strong or popular his personality. 1t
is not much given to the selection for
leadership of magnetic" or brilliant
men, but as a rule picks its exponents
among men of sound character and con-
viction. Such party is never as eff
cient in the disturbance of the politi-
cal peace as one that becomes absorbed
in the contests of individuals for place,
but ultimately in the natural order OF
things it. Is the party that will tri-
umph, for in the end the people will rec
ognize that in republic ideas and
not men govern, and the party that
stands for ideas and not the mere ap-
petite of individuals for office will en-
dure in power
In this connection the following from
the New York Journal is eminently
sound. The Journal says:
1.-The political destiny of this country
is to be determined by voters, not by
shouters for Mckinley's sovereign cure
for poverty or by admirers of Reeds
non committal availability Among
these voters there are about six mil
lions of Democrats who will not vote
for any candidate who may win the
delegates or trick the national Repub-
lican convention for the presidential
nomination. In the two preceding
presidential elections the Democrats
cast five and a half millions of votes, a
majority of $4,000 and $50, 900 respect
lively, over the Republican vote. Those
votes were cast rather for principle
than for the man. Mr.. Cleveland is not
magnetic, but he inspired the conf
dence of the people and received the
full vote of the Democratic party
The voters of that party do not get
excited for men, because they are anx-
ious to assert the principles of taxation
without robbery of the consumers and
sound finance without injustice to any
section of the. country or any class of
the people. This contention for prin-
ciples is the antithesis of the Republi-
can contention for a candidate without
principles; or, at best. a candidate
whose principles are concealed. The
plan of the Democrats is to call con-
vention to agree on platform, and
then select a statesman to illustrate,
and, if elected, to assert the principles
of that platform. The plan of the Re
publicans is to get the nomination, by
unfair means II necessary, and then
concoct platform with delusive prom
ises to every faction from which they
hope to get votes. This differentiation
explains why one party is noisy, while
the other party is simply waiting for
the convention at Chicago to nominate
the candidate who will. if fairness and
reason triumph be the next president
of these United States''