The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-02
THE CALL OF DUTY.
Henry watterson's Editorial.

tne s"pJect Oh the pOntical situation, Win
particular reference to the duty of National
democrats. from General Simon Bolivar
(, Buckner.
The ex-governor writes with the CON
! fidence, the courage and the ardor OF
| youth. He refuses to grow old. He Will
not Yield TO numbers. Beaten he may
| De, but not discouraged. Withdrawn
from public office, living In dignfied re-
tirement after long and honorable Ca
reer' with not single interest or motive
| ior misleading any human being, or for
equiVocating as to the least detail OF
truth as he sees 1t, what an inspiring
| OBJECT in tho sight OF good citizens ought
| not this brave. sincere old soldier STAKES
man 10 be? Yet will there be those bru-
tai enough and besc enough TO squirt
their lnud-flll upon his name and
fame, in their malignant eagcrness to
smirch one whom they know to lie the very
incarnation Of manly purity and unselflsh
| patriotism.
| The Courier journal sympathizes wholly
| with General Buekner in his reassertion
OF the true belief. despite the result OF
| the late election. although 1t Is unable
| TO lind in the election returns what It
regards good reason for pursuing a cor
tain specific course of action and com
|
| quarements Of this. 1t is one thing to
preach the gospel of Christ; and IL is an
other thing 20 determine exactly when
| ana where. and in what form. the
church militant shall be erected Where
| organized movement availeth hot 1t is
something necessary for the soiders OF
the Lord TO dispense in order to save not
| merely themselves, but also the word Of
God, General Buckner would hardly con.
4 I'm n a.
| ternately tried qulnine and caionel, and
failed to benefit his patient with either,
should obstinately refuse 70 change the
treatment. There are more WAYS than
! one both TO XIII cat and to cure the
| cholera and, in conceding me inetrl-
oacy of the movement organ.zed ait
Indianapolis in 1896, and contiuued IN
Kentucky the present year, the coaaier-
Journal. abating no part II its loyal de-
| votion TO the principles OF Honest Money,
| Home Rule and Free Trade which it still
carries at its masthead. recognizes certain
facts. which 1t can not deny, and ruts it's
| trust in certain possibilities, which It
hopes to see fulfilled.
| We believe that at this moment Ken
| lucky Is a sound money State. But II 1t
| Is TO be divided by three distinct 20
iltical Organizations. the success of the
| party OF unsound money becomes a
else. that no party advocating msound
money can carry National election; and
this consideration Is bound to weigh with
both the democrats OF Kentucky aud with
the democrats of all the other States in the
| Union.
The coming two years viii be years OF
reflection, discussion and Reimbursement
Men like German and Whitney ani Hill,
| who are stlll members OF the regular
| democratic organization, can not afford
| 10 throw away sure democratic States
| on another campaign like that OF 1896
The young democracy of The great f,or;h-
| west can not afford to mortgage rs future
either to Mr.. Bryan or 70 Governor at
geld. BY no possibility can the tond tons
OF 1896 be exactly reproduced in 1906. j. IL
we'll 10 bear this in mind Meanwhile
we prefer to take our chance with the
conservative democrats, fighting within
the party, to reform II of ls excuses and
| TO restore II tn Its better uses, than to
| pursue TN lsnis fatuus which, II it had been
more real, would have resulted In the
election, Instead of the defeat Of the
free silver fusion last year, and which, with
singular unanimlty, the voters have iofus-
ed to follow.
| II there be those in Kentucky who can
not see the situation as we see 1t. and who
| insist upon holding conventions, adopting
platforms and naming candidates, we shall
wish them well, whilst doubling their wis
dcm Many things, will happen between
| this and 1899, when We elect State officers,
but nothing Is likely to happen making It
| imperative upon the little band OF national
| democrats who voted for Hindman to put
| State ticket In the field. Many things,
| too, viii happen between this and 1900 and
1t may be that, before that time, the hope
Will be realized which General Buckner
| expresses OF such modification OF views
n fplH in ;ota
VIII enable us to act with them. Next
| year, congressman are to be chosen, but
that is a local, district affair. and each dis
trict is likely to Judge for itself without
reference to any general y1an of campaign
In one word, the ancient policy OF mastery
inactivity has lost none Of its virtues. and.
perhaps, when we have ceased to swing
lantern In the darkness, showing the in
congruous elements OF populism and free
silyerism and republicanism Just where 10
strike and what TO avoid. We shall be
nearer the portals OF truth than we now
seem to pe.
Indeed the idea of maintaining an organ
ization which has shown itself to be so
wanting in every essential element OF
strength except disinterested purpose and
good Intention seems to us very like what
would have been the attitude OF a brigade
IN Lees army repudiating Appomattox and
setting up on Its own account to maintain
free government. under the impression Thai
Lees surrender had left its friends no
other course
Lee surrendered at Appomattox becsuse
ne could sustain himself no longer. and
then and there the fabric OF the Southern
Confederaoy fell. Thousands ~ good mcr
thought that free institutions we're gone
But was 1t sol The Confederacy was dead
but liberty was not dead. The PEOPLE were
not dead. truth was not dead Nor are any
OF these things now dead. Tested In 1885
IN the Nation. and In 1887 In faw Of the
States. though notably and conclnsiyely In
Kentucky, the sound money an,,aticn.
which took the name OF the national democ-
racy. showed itself both an illusion and a
snare. The instinct OF the voters proved
wiser than the Judgment OF their leaders
u the voters had followed the leaders ths
Inst object Of the movement--the over
Lrow Of the fusion which menaced the
a country with flat money and National ala
.vsrt--would have been ,iefestrd -.
Axeud object was the creation Of nucleus
about which democrats might rally ana ri
organize the party, In Kentucky less than
Ten enouesnd earnest. eaitEhteped, devoted
men accepted thie oppcrtunity II "a actual
D0XX a. xIk 90 40 = - 80 1880