The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-14
The Astonishing Political Situation.

zion OF every reader u very suggestive artl-
Gle on the present social and political situa.
tion in this country, more especially as it Is
indicated and revealed in the struggle now
going on for the control of the government
of New York.
Col. HENRY WATTERsoN, the editor of the
Courier-Journul, Is distinctly a man of
genius, and he is also a political philoso-
pher, whose d|isccrnment of the tendencies
to disorganization and d~isintcgration in
the Democratic party during tho last fifteen
years has been proved by the event to have
been clear and penetrating. The transforma.
ton at Chicago OF that great and historical
party, the ono political party which up to
then had continued unchanged in spirit
and principle from the very foundation OF
the republic, was so complete as to be
startling in its significance for every
observer who looks below the mere
surface Of political currents. 1t was
the transformation of an uninterruptedly
conservative party into a distinctively and
aggressivcly radical party. The Demo
cratic party turned square about, and the
change was so complete that it constituted
nothing less than n political revolution Of
the gravest portcnt to this republic.
1t is not necessary to go into n recital Of
the causes of this revolution, whose opera.
tion began fifteen years ago, and whose in
evitablc results were pointed out by Col.
WATTERsoN, in 1892, in language which at
the time was distrusted by the great ma
jority of Democrats as the outgiving of a
disordered fancy though the result has JUS.
titled his discernment. Verify, the Demo.
cratic party has passed through a slaughter
house to an open grave. The old and orig
inal Democratic party is dead and buried.
In its place there has arisen a party of
social and political revolution, whose dan
gerous tendencies Col. WATTERsoN now
discovers in the present confused and per-
picking canvass in New York, where
HENRY GEORGE stands forth as the repre-
sentative of the existing Democracy. Even
intelligence and perception less clear and
penetrating than his should see them dis
tinctly, so obvious and pronounced is their
manifestation. Apparently, however, a
large part of the very element of this com.
munity, in which such intelligence Is
assumed to reside more particularly,
has not yet walked up to the
discovery. The registration of the
first W. days has already been en-
rolled, and it shows n large and ominous
falling off from that of last year, though
really the social and political emergency is
not less grave now than then. In the bust
ness community there has been n more or
less successful effort to create the impress.
sion that no questions larger thar merely
local issues enter into this election.
Men whose business d|iscernmcnt and prac.
t;--I l.
of their private activities have secured
for them notable emincnce in COM
merce and nance are discussing the polit-
ical situation with the intellectual imma-
turity of childhood. The only political
issue some of them can bring within their
comprehension is "Plattism,' something
which really has nc existence, q mere prod
uct of newspaper malevolencc, conceived by
the mischievous Imagination of writer's
whose opinions as individuals on any SUBJ
ject of Importance would command no con.
sideration whatever from the very men who
accept with gravity their shallow and UNI.
principled diatribes when printed in a
newspaper.
Meantime the forces of society are gath
ering for a conflict which, AZ Col. WAITER
we VI otoiiu lCplS VI
social conservatism, IL to be one of the
NEST momentous in American history in
its social and political consequences. lie
describes SETH Low MS the leader of the
conservative rich, and HENRY GEORGE as
the leader of the radical poor and gcncr.
ally his antithcsis is not far from the truth.
The contrast between the two men, how
ever, is still more marked. HENRY GEORGE
Is leading his radical following into the
actual fight; SETH Low is marshalling his
hosts to lead them wholly away from the
contest, and thus diminish the forces with
which HENRY GEORGE Is to contend.
1t Is not reasonable to conclude that the
conservative rich" who are blindly follow
ing Lows retreat from the battlefield, are
Intentionally and deliberately engaging in
the withdrawal and diversion in the direct
interest of GEoRGE's radical poor" host,
but practically that is what they are doing.
A corps of the army naturally belonging to
the opposing forces mutinies against the
regular General and goes of to fire it's guns
at an imaginary enemy merely, while the
real enemy advances the more confidently
on the position deserted by it.
Meantime occurs the strange proceeding
of the captains of the Low corps giving aid
and comfort to the George army. Low con-
scnts to GEORGES taking part of his officers
to assist in the strategy of the Bryanite and
socialistic assault The two seem to be on
the best of terms, each understanding that
he will suffer no harm from the other. The
low contingent proposes an alliance and
the George hordes accept it gleefully.
GEORGE will fight his battle without
direct opposition from Low, but with such
assistance as may be afforded by Lows re.
firing from the field of contest and detail.
ing his best officers for the George army.
1t is an astonishing situation. 1t is like
a scene in an opera bouffe. 1t all takes
place, too, at a time when the vision of Col.
WATTERsoN and of all men of philosophical
| discernment Is startled by indubitable