The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-10-24

legations with greenbacks, free trade,
free silver, government by Injunction
and open alliance with Populism and
coupled with persistent
and malicious violation Of the Four
teenth and Fifteenth amendments, are
but q few of the many mistakes and
ruinous policies and propositions to
which II has given its adherence and
support
When It finally got into power II was
more than mere disappointment. What
II advocated in the house 1t abandoned |
in the senate. The Wilson tariff law
was the only measure Of national char
acter and importance that 1t was able
to enact, and that brought discredit
upon the government, disaster to busi-
ness, and loss and misery to millions
Of Anne rican homes.
That statute holds lasting place in
the recollections OF the people and in
the history of the country as a monu-
ment to the incapacity Of the Demo-
cratic party.
Its whole attempt to govern the
country was disastrous failure. 1t
forfeited public confidence and went
out Of power thoroughly discredited
az public agency. 1t has since stead
lily gone from bad to worse. It has
seemingly reached the point where 1t
10 incapable Of even proposing patriot
ic and acceptable policies.
These are harsh criticisms, but they
are far less severe than Democratic
leaders are pronouncing on themselves.
They now confess that they were
wrong last year, and for years before.
In regard to questions Of vital charac-
ter and Importance that affected our
financial honor, our industrial devel-
opment, our foreign policies, our ma
tional obligations, and our prosperity,
happiness and good name as a people.
They pretended then to believe what
they advocated, and, necessarily, they
either did or they didn't. II they did,
they lacked capacity; II they didn't,
they lacked sincerity. In either case
they are Unworthy of public confidence.
But we have both cases.
Since the state convention they have
been holding their county conventions,
and some have gone one way and
some another" some have adopted the
state platform and rejected the ma
tional, and some have adopted the ma
tional and rejected the state; some
have clung to Bryan and some have
spewed him out, and some have tried
to do both. This diversity of the coun
ties has been exhibited by the states.
Some have followed Ohio and some
have refused to do SO.
In short, they have no common
agreement and no common purpose
with respect to any policy or question
of national character. What their
next convention will declare for, no
man can tell; but all men know that
1t will be for whatever at the time may
seem to give the best promise of sue
cess, without regard to whether 1t Is
consistent or Inconsistent with pre-.
vious declarations. They will stand
by their present professions or take
another departure" as expediency
may dictate.
In at least one respect all such de
UdTLuTcB are dIhc. lucy ihubtLoIC
the want Of fixed principle and pur-
pose, and thus emphasize unfitness for
public duty.
No party can be equal to the require
ments of government N this country
that Is not inspired by national pol
| icy that Ia the same In all the states
and all the counties. So long as De-
mocracy is one thing in one county
and another thing In another county;
one thing In one state and different
thing in other states, 1t IL necessarily
both incapable and unworthy, and
should not have the peoples favor.
A party that can not agree with
itself should not expect anybody else
to agree with 1t; and party that con-
fesses that 1t did not know enough
last year to know that free silver was
q blundering folly, does not know
enough to rule the nation this year;
much less At to be trusted this Year
II q party that was capable of advocat-
Ing last year what It then knew 70 be
ruinous. merely for the sake OF party
success.
But waving all that, It Is . good
rule in politics and In government, as
in everything else. to let we'll enough
alone. We disregarded that rule In
1892 and paid the penalty of four years
Of very hard times.
The country has no confidence In o
parry that is one thing this year and
another thing next year, or one thing
In Ohio and another thing in New
York or Nebraska; and that lack OF
conference.-the result of years Of vac
illGtion and persistence in error-can
not be cured In day by platform dec
larations and promises.
1t is, therefore, enough of itself to
paralyze business and bring disaster
for the Democratic party to carry any
important election. The mere chance
for 1t to do mischief is sufficient to
produce panic.
But in addition to the moral effect
OF this lack of confidence, and notwith-
standing its departures" and declara-
tions, the fact is that as to all the
great questions Of the day the Demo-
cratic party is now. as 1t has been, ia
tally on the wrong side.
1t pretelds to have learned wisdom
about the tariff. but everybody knows
It has not, and that 1t would not be In
power twenty-four hours until Its free
trade tinkering would commence. Al
a result, we would have at once q rep
etition of our experiences Of 1893 to
1897. Whatevsr differences Of opinion