The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-20
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE DEMO
CRATIC PARTY.


To the Editor: After the final wreck
Of that vast dominion Of the Caesars
which the genius and prowess of the
Roman people had raised to such
power and glory. a long period of
time elapsed before the master hand
Of Gibbon portrayed the Decline and
Fail of the Roman Empire; and yet
other years were to come and go ere Silas
Wegg should charm the Golden Dustman
with an erudition that enabled him to
read the learned and dignified pages of
the historian with comparative ease But
the world which antedated Gibbons time
was slow coach compared to the world
or the present day, and we can see de-
clines and faIls'' of once powerful organi-
cations, the historical narrative OF them.
and possibly the perusaI of that narra-
ton by some Silas Wegg to some Mr..
BONN, all within the space Of ~ few
y The foregoing profound observations
have been suggested to the writer by the
,disintegratfon and dissolution of the
Democratic party. Herbert Spencer de-
fines dissolution as the disintegration of
matter and the concomltant increase of
motion. In the application of this learn
ed formula to organic matter, we will see
that the brain, for instance, would rot
and fall to pieces and that the gases, thus
some to the right and some to the left,
some going up and some going down, and
some gyrating round and round! It Is
plain to next to the most stupid observer
that this rotting process and this increase
OF gaseous motion are what has happened
to the Democratic party. say next to
the most stupid" for the most stupid Is
a man like Mr.. Bryan. or Mr. Champ
Clark "of Missoory," or Mr.. George Fred
rau nHf hat IHr-
gland state, once represented In the Uni
ted States senate by Daniel Webster, who
still thinks that the Democratic party Is
alive! To men capable of making mental
observations and drawing common sense
conclusions, to men who have eyes with
even the smallest quantity of brains be.
hind them. It is apparent that what was
once a great and powerful organization
liz now as dead as Caesar turned to clay.
Nay. with the merest modicum OF gray
matter under the skull-cap, and handi-
capped with optics that are bleared with
age or dissipation. 1t would seem that the
sense of smell would suffice to detect the
moribund condition OF that party!
Alas! how pitifu1,
In whole city full,
In whole nation full
None to deplore!
Ailing in the spring, poor thing!
sickening unto death in July twas It
The end came Gas Mr.. wegg, my favorite
Would say) at Chicago none too soon!
All, me! One would never think, from
the way / am writing that my heart is
full of sadness at the fate that has over
taken the Democratic party! Somewhat
like the old comedian who was trying to
make the audience laugh at his quips
and his quirks, while his wife lay dying
af hon h n
grief, / must smile and jest, lest 1 break
down completely.
To look on the wreck and ruin that
demagogues and adventures have
wrought, to note the fantastic tricks they
are cutting before high heaven, and then
to consider what the Democratic party
once wasi How was 1t possible that a
great political organization. whose basic
principles were defined and laid down by
political giants like Jefferson and Madi-
son. could be brought low, with it's mouth
in the dust, by a lot of pygmies and pis-
mires?
In the magnificent forests of Africa, the
elephant, that land behemoth of the pres
ent age. Is sometimes SO bitten and wor-
ried by parasites, which crawl into his
ears. or winter in the creases of his
thighs" that the noble beast goes crazy
and PUSHES hlindly to destruction. This
suggestive
/ forget whether 1t was Hector who
dragged Achilles around the walls of Troy
at the tail Of his war cart, or, as Mr..
Weller would say. wicey-wercy, but today
the Republican party is the great, VIC
torious party, the only warrior in the
field, and armed cap-a-pie 1t scans the
horizon in vain to discover a foeman
worthy of It's steel. Its noble adversary
In days gone by lies prone In the dust!
The Democratic party is undergoing the
process of dissolution, its brains have
completed this process, and now the gases
that are escaping from its rotting carcass
are whirling about the. country, making
hideous noises, and bringing the blush of
shame and anger to every man who loved
the old party and was proud of it's former
glory.
To Democrats Of my own age. whose
hairs are white with the suns OF many
winters, the situation holds out no prom
Use for the future. The old banner WHOSE
folds once gracefully and proudly fioated
In the breeze, and under which we march,
ed to many a victory, Is trailed in the
filth of the street! What the future will
bring to men young enough to have a
future no one knows. We do know that
political parties. like individual men, can
decay and perish; that political parties,
and standing, and that, once losing these
vital essentials, miracles would have to
be wrought to regain them.
7. N. ALLEN.