The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-10-25
which 1t has given Its adherence anu


support.
When it finally got into power it was
more than mere disappointment. What
1t advocated in the house 1t abandoned
in the senate. The Wilson tariff law
was the only measure of national char
acter and importance that it was able
to enact. and that brought discredit
upon the government, disaster to busi-
ness, and loss and misery to millions
of American homes.
That statute holds a 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 a disastrous failure. 1t
forfeited public confidence and went
out of power thoroughly discredited
as public agency. 1t has since stead
lily gone from bad to worse. 1t has
seemingly reached the point where it
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; If 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-
partures" are alike. They illustrate
the want of fixed principle and pur-
pose, and thus emphasize unf1tness for
public duty.
No party can be equal to the require
ments of government in this country
that is not inspired by a national pol
icy that Il 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, it is 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 it; and party that con-
fesses that it did not know enough
last year to know that free silver was
a blundering folly. does not know
enough to rule the nation this year;
much less At to be trusted this year
Is q party that was capable of advocat-
| ing last year what 1t then knew to be
ruinous. merely for the sake of party
success.
But, waving all that, It is . good
| rule In politics and In government, az
in everything else, to let well enough
alone. We disregardsd that rule in
1892 and paid the penalty of four years
| of very hard times.
The country has no confidence in q
party 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
1 J
| illation and persistence in error-can
not be cured in a day by platform dec
larations and promises.
| 1t is, therefore, enough of itself tc
paralyze business and bring disaster
for the Democratic party to carry any
important election. The mere chance
for it to do mischief is SUFFICIENT t6
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 it has been, IA
tally on the wrong side.
It pretends to have learned wisdom
about the tariff. but everybody know!
It has not, and that 1t would not be II
power twenty-four hours until its free
trade tinkering would commence. Al
a result, we would have at once rep
etition of our experiences of 1893 II
1897. Whatever differences of opinion
there may be on other points there Il
none as to our
PROSPERITY.
We had it under Harrison; we lost !
under Cleveland; we regained it unde
Mckinley. Every man knows that
return of the Democratic party t
power could not increase it, and almos
every man knows that it would de
stroy 1t. Why place it In peril?
1t is the greatest we have ever en-
joyed. 1t surpasses comprehension
1t defies exaggeration.