Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-08-11
QARK'S LETTER
Democrats Stand Firmly
on The Chicago Platform.
A LIVING POLITICAL FORCE.
Bryan the Exponent Of Demo
cratic Principles.
REPUBLICAN CHANGE OF BASE

They No Longer Hide Behind h Inter
national Bimetallism subterfuse-Come
Out Boldly For Single Gold Standard.
Parties Can Now Vote InteIligently.
Politics In the Keystone State.
Especial Washington letter.
This is q day Of skyrockety rhetoric.
The victories gained over the Spaniards
by land and sea have set all tongues
a-going in patriotic strain. I have been
rereading Thomas Carlyle's French
Revolution" It is a fascinating exc
else, as it keeps one perpetually OF the
mental jump to find out what he is
driving at, but I defy the most bizarre
and grotesque of American orators or
writers to equal the following excerpts
from the grim old Scotchman in stating
our own case. Much Of it is applicable to
Spain at the present juncture. In de-
scribing the death Of Louis XIV he says:
"Alas, much more lies sick than poor
Louis, not the French king only, but
the French kingshipi This, too, after
long, rough wear and tear, is breaking
down. The world is all SO changed. So
much that seemed vigorous has sunk
d~ecrepit, SO much that was not is begin
ming to be! Borne over the Atlantic to
the closing ear of Louis, king by the
grace of God, what sounds are these,
mufied, ominous, new in our centuries?
Boston harbor is black with unexpected
tea, Behold a Pennsylvania congress
gather, and ere long, on Bunker Hill,
democracy announcing, in rife volleys
death winged, under the star banner to
the tune of Yankee Doodle-doo,' that
she is born and, whirlwindlike, will en-
velop the whole worldr"
Carlyle's Clear Vision.
In the language of the immortal
Squeers, "Here's richnessi" What rhet-
oricl What comprehensive prophecy !
Let no jealous patriot go to worshiping
Thomas Carlyle for that closing predic-
ton. 1t came from his hard head and
not from his hard heart, for he hated
US and all our works, but with clear
vision he could read the whole book Of
which the tea episode in Boston harbor
was the opening chapter. Yea, verify,
Democracy will envelope the whole
world"
If the foregoing extract has not al
ready given my readers the jimjams,
here is another from the same inspired
growler: "Observe, however, beyond
the Atlantic has not the new day verify
dawned! Democracy, as we said, is
born; storm grit, is struggling for life
and victory. A sympathetic France re-
joioes over the rights of man. In all
salons, it is said, What a ~spectaclep
Now, too, behold our Deane, Jul Frank
lin, American plenipotentiaries, here in
person soliciting; the SONS of Saxon
Puritans, with their old Saxon temper,
old Hebrew culture, sleek Silas, sleek
Benjamin, here on such errand, among
the light children of heathenism and
monarchy sentimentalism. A spectacle
indeed, over which salons may cackle
joyous, though Kaiser Joseph (of Aus
tria-Hungaryl questioned on it, gave
this answer, most unexpected from a
philosophe, Madame, the trade / live
by is that Of royalist.'"
As a lesson in mental gymnastics that
paragraph stands unexcelled. As a sam
pie Of rhetorical commissions it cannotb be
equaled. The last sentence tells a start
ling story, for if Louis XVI had inter-
preted our Revolutionary performance
as truly as did Joseph of Austria, he
would never have sent his soldiers to
fight our battles, and he would have
most probably died peacefully in his
royal bed with his royal head still on
his royal shoulders. It was the reflex
action of i'll Revolution which sent
him to the g%uillotine. The desire for
freedom is more contagious than the
smallpox, the measles or the black
plague. Thomas Carlyle was right
Democracy will envelop the whole
world" Like John Browns soul, it still
goes marching on.
Democracy Undismayed.
A great many goldbugs have been ~
ing awake of nights for some months
wondering whether Organism is dead
and what sort of a platform the Demo
Gratis would make this campaign on. Ii
this pleasant recreation they have wasted
as much sleep as the seven sleepers in
dufged in. These philanthropic persons
may possess their souls in peace, fol
things are now taking shape, the cloud
disappearing and the skies clearing 81
that we can tell definitely "where WI
are at" The plain truth is that Demo
Gratis have neve had any doubts what
| ever on the subject. The Chicago plat
| form was not the result of a stampede
of anger or of Bryan's wondrous ora
tory. 1t was the result of profount
study, of widespread suffering, Of de
pressing conditions. 1t was adopted de
liberately after mature reflection a
millions of firesides and adopted il
obedience to the law of self preserva
ton. We came near winning on i
amid the most difficult circumstance
| that ever surrounded a great party
Mark Hanna's victory by the skin O
his teeth and the use Of unlimited boodl'
did not dismay us OF cause us to recan
our faith or diminish our zeal in tn
cause of humanity and truth.
OF course it is easy as falling off
log. and q slippery log at that, to ma.
these things as a matter Of prophecy
1t is no longer prophecy. but reality