The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-17


Q worry high Democratic source Of the
prevalence Of feeling In the Democratic
party TO which we have often referred
a. novel In the history OF partisan poll
tics. Many evidences Of the existence
OF such a doubt have appeared In Demo-
cratic papers. even those published in
regions where the ascendency Of that
party is most unquestionable, at the
South, for example.
Mr. JOSEPH II. MANLEY Of Maine,
member of the National Republican
Committee. whose political acuteness ia
recognized in both parties, has recently
gone so far as to say that while the Re-
publicans will make strenuous fight
In every Congress district where they
have any show whatever, still, II must
be admitted that it will be far better
for the Republican party in the Presi-
dental contest of 1904 if il should lose
the present House Of Representatives,.
This, he continued. is so apparent to
every one that the Democratic man
ayers, il il believed with great deal Of
authority do not expect, and do not desire.
to carry the next House" Mr. MANLEY,
after going over tho political situation
in every district, figured out, however.
that the next House OF Representatives
would stand 2i2 Republicans to ia Dem
ocrats, or Republican majority Of 80
The advantage to the Republicans of
Democratic majority in the lower house,
according to Mr.. MANLEY. would come
from the necessity under which the
Democrats would then be to show
their hand at a time when they would
be rendered powerless for mischief by
the assured Republican majority in the
Senate.
Looking at the matter from the point
OF view of partisan policy merely, there
may be something In Mr. MANLEY's
suggestion. but in principle it is wholly
vicious. As Mr. CLEVELAND remarked,
political warfare ought to be regarded
as continuous, and if the principles at
issue between parties are worth fighting
for at all it is cowardly TO abandon the
battle at the call Of an assumed tempo
rary expedency. The notion "smacks
Of mephlstophelian cynicism which
degrades politics. 1t has a flavor Of
machiavelianism very distasteful to
honest conviction.
The danger to the Democratic party
which responsibility for the next House
Of Representatives would bring is, how
ever, very great. 1t was serious when
the notion to which Mr.. CLEVELAND
refers began to be confessed in certain
Democratic quarters last summer,
but it is very much graver now. The
socialistic declaration by the Democratic
convention of New York has introduced
into the party a new and fiery principle.
There has entered into it a devil which
may not be cast out except at the cost
Of disaster fatal to its existence. A
firebrand has been thrown into politics,
and il il unquenchable.
If, by any chance. the Democratic
party should succeed in electing the
ticket nominated on the Socialist plat
form put forth by it in the greatest State
in the Union. and il 1t should succeed
also in securing majority Of the House
OF Representatives, the socialistic seed
would be sure to crop up there In projects
Of legislation Of Democratic suggestion.
SO far from preventing that growth the
settlement Of the anthracite strike might
rather tend to stimulate II, because Of
the false impression which the strikers
and their aiders and abettors are seeking
TO spread that the settlement is sur
render to the mob.
1t may be taken for granted that Mr..
HILL, the leader OF the Democratic party
in New York, would not have rsked an
ing the cost. As the absolute master Of
the Democratic convention he must
have known that he would be held re-
sponsibe personally for this new Demo-
cratic departure, and that, as a foremost
aspirant for the Democratic nomination
for President, his political future would
be linked with it. His staked his politi-
| cal fate on that die. He has opened the
Democratic canvass by giving preemi-
nence to the issue of national owner.
ship and operation
Nor ia there any other issue on which
the election OF a Democratic Governor
can be advocated with any force Against
the administration OF the State from
Albany no reasonable Democratic crit.
cism can be brought by any comparison
with the methods and results under any
Democratic administrations, those OF
Mr.. Hill himself, for example.
Mr. HILL is man whose whole though,
il absorbed in politics-a pass!onless
man who goes into no political adventur,
without coldly calculating the chance,
for himself. We see that some papers ar,
proceeding on the assumption that h,
jumped in carelessly with his socialisti'
.. issue, without taking into consideration
the probability that the coal strike woulo
. be over before the election and the ma
: tional ownership and operation planl
of .lis platform would be made the NOR,
,.psurd; but such rashness does no
enter into the composition Of Mr.. HILL,
III l. a