New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-30
Tur PARTY OF FALSE PRETENCES.


The wisdom of the ostrich has long been that
Of the Democratic party Thrusting the hcad
! undnr the sand is not in fact n concealmcnt OF
tho figure or the character. The party has
made more fuss about the language OF Its plat
form than was worth while for nothing II
could do or saw or leave undone or unsaid
could in the eas, alter public knowledge as TO
The character and tendency of the Democratic
marty in general or even in this State. Final
refusal 10 say anything about the Chicago plat
form does not revoke that platform or make 1t
the less an authoritative declaration Of the pur
nose which governs the party in National ar
fairs. The summons to all Democrats to unite
I'm q fight for State Offices only does not In the
least hide the fact that National issues of enor-
nous importance are necessarily affected by
The contest and that all who countenance or
aid the party In It's pretence will give counte-
nance and aid to the election Of Democratic
Concrnssmen and Senators who will act with
the party in Congress on National issues.
The utter imposslbility of getting rid Of these
ouestions in a contest involving the election of
thirty-four Representatives and one United
States Senator has not been overlooked by
Democratic politicians They know the thing
cannot be done but believe the pretence that
thnv do it will be a sufficient excuse 10 bring
back to the support Of the party those who re
fused that support in 1896 This presupposes
the same dishonesty on the part OF such voters
as Is shown by tho leaders IT Is believed that
such voters or great proportion of them. Will
prove false 10 their own convictions regarding
National questions and deliberately aid party
which they know to be dangerous to the Ma
tonal prosperity and honor, on the dishonest
pretence that they are helping II In State ar
fairs only
As TO some OF them, il would not be strange
n this should prove true. Their readiness TO
accept even the most palpaby false prctence
as sufficient excuse for helping an organization
which they know to he both corrupt and dan
gerous 10 the Nation has been abundantly
shown. There are many others who have more
honesty and who will not contribute AT all 10
the success Of the party until " uneQuivOcay
rcpndates the Chcago doctrines and purposes
and puts up candidates who can he trusted TO
fight against them. How many such Demo
Gratis there are time will tell. That there are
enough to make a fraudulent success Of the
party impossible in this State there Is good rca
son to believe. But there may not be enough
10 prevent It's success in some Congress and leg
islative districts. and the leaders count upon
that fruit Of dishonesty so palpable that II
can cheat nobody
This IA 10 new phase. The Democratic party
Inns not fought one honest campaign in forty
years. and the difference has been only in de-
erccs and forms of false pretcnce. II never
tells the people squarely what 1t believes or In
tends. because 1t has known for forty years that
that was not the way to get the greatest num-
Der OF votes Even In the Bryan campaign tho
silver declaration was falsehood on the part
OF sono Of the leaders who uttered Il. and the
avowal At socialistic and revolutionary doc
tr;nes ana aims was on the part Of others only
4 fraudulent pretcnce In order to catch votes.