New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-28
THE yEARIyG-DOWN STATESMEN.

While the Republican party Is emo'ii as'oN
-.a,os Democratic candidates for the Tres
idencv are neither numerous nor per'asNe'
worsbppers Of Mr. Cleveland continue W i'p
cont that nobody else can save his paiV' 'u
tberc are men who would like 10 save IL IL ~,
could Secretary Carlisle might De perSu'u'"'
thouph It Is questionable whether he couiu cum
mn nd either the delegation or the ciectorai Wv,
90 Koptucl,y Secretary Olney has chi''ei
uor,r,oc on some delegations from Ne"-EnS
land If he wants them. but 1t Il to him extreme
~ doubtful whether he wants any ueiesa''on
whatever. 1t has occurred to him more tl'h
oncc that n distinctly un-Amerlcan Admihis'r"-
ton IS not calculated to lift Secretary oi "t'.o
toward glory Mr.. Whitney whose hohoraDie
servicc as Secretary Of the Navy should not oe
forgotten would probably prefer not 10 nave 'na'
service remembered too obtrusively this year.
and Mr.. Morrison, OF Illinois who has lost hin-
self IN his relations with the railroads, might
perhops be as strong as any other candidate oi
bis Marty II he had not been conspicuous years
ago in framing tariff Dill.
put when these and all others are duly re-
,non,hored the fact remains that the Democratic
marty e not Mt present Overstocked with Prcsi-
dontio, material. Its difficulty Is at bottom that
If the destructive party. The man who Duilds
md crcates II his work results in prosperity, IS
NOT eosiIy forgotten; the most powerful COM
h,n,tjon of politicians fails TO make men forget
or d,srorord what he has done. But the man
who GOES into business as tearer down or
tbIncs has 4 less satisfactory outlook. The i'm
mediate effect Is always unpleasing. Wrecks
and ruins are rot often slightly, and almost never
productive II they clear the way for something
whether
something else will be better or worse. But for
the time at all events, the ruin Is dishearteninS
and unslghtly. The party OF wrecks and ruins
has TO prevail long enough to get something DONE
and also has to possess enough practical COM
nonsense 10 get the right thing DONE before II
can appeal to public judgment with confidence
The Democratic party has never done any
thing since It kIndled rebellion against the
Union. Possibly there is a relation OF cause ana
effects here; possibly the party which klndles
a rebellion becomes thereby Incapable or doing
ANYTHING else But the Democratic history has
hccn one Of negatives. 1t has threatened and
moro or less tried to tear down many things.
1t denounced. but was not able to stop, specie
REDEMPTION Of lcgal-tender notes. 1t has been
rcvlling every step taken toward honest money
4 sound currency. a safe and uniform banking
system: but the higher powers have mercltully
saved the Nation from even touch or Demo
cratic dcstr,ictlycncss In that regard. Ii has
continually threatened to tear down the pro'ec-
tive tariff but. coming into power in all branches
OF the Government. was not able 10 muster
enough sincerity or dctiniteness Of purpose to
g,t that done either. though IN the effort much
was torn down and great deal Of damage was
done
The tcarlngdown statesman does not fill n
large place In the public mind Indeed, every
body knows that he has only n torch for de-
stroylng but no hammer for building. and must
| therefore be not the sort OF man a progressive
Nation needs. The difficulty with the Demo
cratic party Is that for more than thirty years
| II has cultivated that kind OF statesmen. and no
| other-and the practical results are obvious.