The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-05-19
Are ALI Parties Disintegrating?

Are All Parties Disintegrating?
From the Globe Democrat
1t is often sad these days that all
the parties, the republican as we'll
as the rest, are on the point of col
lapse, and that there is to be a gen.
eral realignment on new issues. Ot
course the split in the democracy IN
1896, and the abusive epithets which
the leaders of each section of it still
hurl at each other, are the principal
reasons assigned for the belief that
that party is going to take new
shape hereafter. The fact chat the
populist chieftains have often sand
since the election that their party is
tired of figuring as the tail to the
democratic kite is the cause given
why that organization in its present
form is on the point of extinction
while the circumstance that the
republican party lost some states in
1892 and 1896 which it usually car
ried before, and gained some in the
latter year that never previous TO
that time cast republican electoral
vote, are cited as signs that the
party is undergoing transformation
which will radically alter its policy
and personnel.
To certain degree these forecasts
are probably correct for the demo.
cratic party, and it is likely they are
absolutely correct for the populst
organization. The latter party never
had any chance of permanence, and
probably many of its leaders were
aware of this. 1t comprised at the
outset the radical factions of each of
the two great parties, and formulated
a programme which neither of these
parties would present. 1t served as
a rallying point for all the elements
Of discomfort in the community.
Necessarily its articles of faith have
been numerous, but they do not
comprise all the aims and aspirations
of all the men who hocked to its
standard and voted its ticket. Like
the elements of the Paris populace
who stood ready to fight behind the
barbados at every uprising, whether
against monarchy or a republic,
feeling that CONFUSION could not
make their condition worse in any
event and might possibly make it
better, there have been populists
who cared nothing for their platform
except as a means of attracting votes
enough TO overthrow the existing
order of things.
But the task of foretelling the
future of the democracy presents far
greater difficulties. That party has
passed through many crises involv-
ing material metamorphoses in its
programme and membership, and has
always eventually got back close to
It's old base. 1t went through one
process of disintegration and recon
struction just before and for year
or two after Jackson's first election.
Another change of ground occurred
in 1860, when the rupture in the
Charleston convention took place,
while during the war and the period
Of Southern state restoration the
democracy was merely negative
force in politics and had no creed
except opposition to the republican
programme. Subsequently Cleve-
land gave it tariff policy and plac-
ed it back on its historical ground Of
half century earlier on that ques-
ton, but the silver issue cut across
the party and divided it on new lines.
If the tariff should be the dominant
question In 1900 the two sections of
the democracy might get together,
but if the silver issue should be at
the front the breach of 1896 in that
party's ranks would probably be
broadened. In any case, however,
the republican party, which has
greater cohesion and discipline than
the democracy or any other organiza-
ton which ever appeared in Ameri-
can politics, is likely to resist the
disintegrating influences of the time.