New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-22
THACUER'S mEHICLE."

II have learned" says the Hon. John Boyd
Thatcher in the very remarkable letter in which
he endeavors TO make it plain to everybody that
he stands to-day where he stood in the month OF
June without abiding to the important circum-
stance that although he stands in the same
place, he has thrown n niphop and Is now stand
ing on his hcad-'I have learned" he says from
1.-THE fathers. and in turn have endeavored to
teach, that the Democratic party is a vehicle TO
carry the will of the people into effect. "Such
"vphiclc" he continues lis constructed with diff
'cuty but is easily destroyed. Failure now ana
.thpp 10 perform absolutely satisfactory service
twill not Justify the utter destruction OF the
.vehclp II was not constructed to bear one
.burlcn but many and various burdens. The
resi- of the letter is more less tangled and con
fuslnC-in the circumstance il could hardly be
otbcrwise-but in this figure of speech. In which
the Democratic party is likcncd to a "vchicle.
we undertake TO say that John Boyd Thachrr
has made ten-strike. AS n contribution to the
literature of the campaign it is several buckle
berries ahead Of the famous cross-and-crown
metaphor. with which William Jennings Bryan
carried the Chicago Convention off its feet and
made himself It's nominee.
And what a vehicle 1t Is. and has been. to be
sure. How true that it was CONSTRUCTED with
difficulty"-thc materials being mostly crooked
sticks and hard TO fl together; and how true TOO.
being tied together with shoestrlngs and stuck
together with mucilage that 1t lis easily de-
stroyed." When he adds that 1t was mot con-
''structed to bear burden, but many and
various burdens" he evidently refers 10 the now
dissipatcd Illusion that Grover Cleveland was the
only burden it could carry. when. as matter
of fact. It's purpose was 10 carry the "Ilany
and various burdens Of Mugwumps. POpu-
lists. Socialists Anarchists Silverites. and every
other faction it could be loaded with. And this
year. as he looks at the vehicle with reverent
| admiration he Is more than ever impressed with
! the fact that it Is not made for one such burden
as Bryan, but for many and various othcrs-such
as Grady and Suzcr and Shcehan and David
! B. Hill and himself. They are truly many ana
various 1t is we'll that he should call attention
10 its burden bearing capacity in anticipation OF
his great net of jumping on it himself
And yet and yet. ii occurs TO MS that the
vehicle figure is weak in one respect. W lth0ut
abating one iot of our admiration of il as
| picturesque contribution TO campaign literature,
we cannot help thinking that a great many
voters who have had the same admiration for
the vehicle and It's burden bearing capacity that
Mr. Thatcher so beautifully expresses are more
or less bewdered by the singular team of a
wild Western steer at the head, with Georgia
mule and Maine family horse behind him try
ing TO pull it over corduroy road Moreover,
| these bewldered voters with all their admiration
for the vehicle cannot help wondering in what
direction the team will undertake to draw 1t. and
how on earth it is going to get anywhere after
it is started. Meantime. the confusion is in
creased by the great variety Of noises raised by
the many and various burdens and the obvious
differences of opinion among the drivers Stlll,
| Thatcher is right about its being vehicle built
with difficulty and easily destroyed. The only
mistake he makes is in jumping on the tail of 1t
| and trying 10 drive the other way. II Is TO be
feared that when the end of the vehicle which
is being drawn by Bryan. Watson and Sewall,
and driven by Jakcy Jones, strikes the polls in
November Mr. John Boyd Thatcher will be
found crawling out of the tail-end debris, NUT
terlng 10 himself: "Why didn't ! skip this ven
"erable but RECONSTRUCTED vehicle and try my
luck on a bicycle"