The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-10
The chicago Disaster.

Ar ICai 1CAiiS~t@-N Q&SSS
try this morning joins in voice with The
News In ~denouncing the Chicago plat
fern as unredeemed populism. Bad as 1t
is, the free silver coinage clause Is hard
" the most offensive feature. The bond
clause. the attack on the Federal courts,
the endorsement of reputation and riot,
these even more than the silver insanity
are repellant to every man who has re-
gard for social order. The silver plank
is only an economic monstrosity. The
other populistic declarations aim ulti-
mateiy at the overthrow of government
and even civilization.
1t cannot matter who the candidate may
be on such a platform. OF course, no
one who is deserving of public confidence
would run upon such a platform. But
v if such a thing Were possible as that
David B. Hill or Grover Cleveland were
the nominee. he%ould not get the votes
Of the peoDleSecause the American people
are 30 honest and order loving, they
have too much respect for themselves
and too much love Of their National insti-
tutions TO endorse such 9 programme,
ever by indirection.
The verdict Of condemnation viii
come with an emphasis which the silver
misereants little expect. Il will not be
from New York. New Jersey and the
East alone. Illinois and Ohio, Michigan
and Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa, the
Dakotas. and no doubt many other West
ern States will be heard from in no un-
certain tones. The country viii vindicate.
Itself when it is put to the rest.
It IS a sad day for true Democrats
who love the party. its traditions, its
principles. and its aims. II is bitter to
see the organization which Thomas JEFF
ferson founded. which Andrew Jackson
strengthened, which has had in later
years such leaders as Horatio Seymour,
Samuel ]. Tilden. Samuel Randall, George
B. Mcclellan. Leon Albeit. dragged TO
disgrace and disaster by u men as
Tiilman, Altgeld. Vest and Bryan.
But in the future there Is hope. Prin-
cipie cannot be killed nor can the lustre
of ruth be dimmed. The mission Of
Democracy is convervatism for the sake
of the rights of the States, of the interests
Of the people. of the perpetuation of the
National institutions in the form and
spirit in which they were founded by
the Fathers of the Nation. The fact that
a horde Of radicals have seized upon the
party organization and attempted to
trample or its traditions and reverse its
purposes cannot shake the consciences Of
those who adhere to the old creed
We fondly trust that the party will
pass OUT from this nightmare Of error
and misdirection. and once again take up
the cause of duty and honor. If not, we
believe. just as we believe IN the per-
manency of American institutions. thai a
new party VIII arise, treasuring the old
principles and consecrating its effort to
resistance against those forces of change
and ~decadenee. which we find taking one
direction in the Republican party and in
the other direction. alas, in the so-called
Democratic majority at Chicago.
In the contest which is about to be
waged, the old time Democrat viii have.
no place TO plant his foot. On the one
hand are the dangerous tendencies towards
class distinction, class privilege. plutoc-
raey. Capitalization and Caesarism repre-
scented BY the Republican party. On the
other, we find men drifting towards the
doctrines and practices of the Jacobin
Club. The great conservative element.
the Democratic party, properly so-cailed,
which should be the staying 1orce against
both. is for the moment weakened dis
organized. demoralized. disheartened But
that this condition should become a per-
manent one is incredible. The necessity
OF the case will provide a solution Of the
situation in the near future. A star Of
regeneration will rise in the East, and
the coming day win be fairer FOR the dark
ness from which it is to emerge.
~