The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-04
DEMOCRACY's FUTURE.

Senator HIN has an article N the Feb
rulrv Forum on '"The Future q the
Democratic Organization" lie says tat
while the party has made MISTAKES IL
has as a rule. entertained better notions
of Government. and advocated moro cor
rect principles than has any Of is ad'er-
sa41es That 1t has occasionally faien
into evil hands, but has quickly recovered
itself That it has accomplished M en-
for the good Of the country, and IS cal a.
bic o, accomplishing more.
The Democratic party has eve" been
the party OF the people, aud 7 IS To-Day
the party of the whole people as opi sed
TO the Republican party, which rem tsei Is
the classes. The Democratic party being
a popular party, contains within lis raj ks
people of 7arious views. and there are
so many elements therein, that 1t is not
strange that there should be occasional
dissension. There has recently been
serious rupture within its equalization.
Bat this is not the first time, ana we
believe that as in the pest. 50 in the IN
ture the breach will be healed
Senator Hill reviews the history or the
Democratic party, and points out that
it was defeated in 1860, because 1t ADAM
doned its principles and confined i'sef 10
the one sectional issue of slavery. lie
believes that 1t lost the last cle;ioh DS
pursuing a similar course and abandoning
its principles for the one Issue CT lee
silver. Mr.. Hill then goes OF to tell
what the Chicago convention should nave
done. but that is not 50 important
question as what the Democratic party
shall do in the future. in order TO rally
its forces, and all its forces, for the com
ing fray. There are those who still cling
to free silver. and insist upon making
that the issue. But can the parry hope
for success upon that score? As Mr.. Wat
terson 50 forcefuly said:
Free silver as policy, it Is wholly
untenable. As a principle OF finance IL
is equally fallaciOus and illusory AS
trick to catch votes, ii has had lis DAY.
IL will never again be half 50 strong as
it was in 1896. II will never again find
a leader so active. persistent. and. per-
sonally. as unobjectionable. as its late
nominee for President As Il living.
breathing. potential. vital issue. IL Is quite
as dead as its predecessor, the plan 10
pay the national debt in irredeemdble
paper currency. The more II is pressed
the wider will be the division among
Democrats. Upon 1t the conflict Is, ana
ever will be, an irreconclablc conflict.
The intelligence Of the country-the virtue
Of the peOple-will not have IT at any
price As long as the beaten leaders who
forced IL on the Democratic party see
in its perpetuation their own safety--as
long as they insist upon its reassertion
as an indispensable vindication Of them
selves-they will go TO waning majorities.
where majorites they have TO increasing
minorities where they are in a minority.
and to certain defeat everywhere
The whole campaign of 1896 was a stu
pendous mistake. What the Democratic
party gained from the POpulists it more
than lost 10y detection in its own ranks.
Nor can the party in our opinion. hope
for a future alliance with the Populists,
except upon the Populists' own terms.
Their leaders have already denounced the
Democrats with whom they affiliated in
the last campaign, and members of the
National Committee Of the Popullst party
have recently declared in an address to
the public that the Populists in the next
campaign viii fight it out on their own
platform Of scientific money" and Gov
ernment ownership OF railroads. 1t is
very clear 10 us, therefore. that the
Democratic party must either abandon
its principles and adopt in toto the prin-
cples Of the Popuist party, or else aban-
don free silver, and the Populsts, and
return to Jenersonian principles and rally
to its standard those who are Democrats
and not POpuiists.