The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-24
SPECTERS AT THE BANQUET.


comments on the Futile Euorts Oh
Democrats to Harmonic.
New York Evening Post.
For the efforts of the eminent Democrats
who are at present engaged in the attempt
to "harmonize' their party we have all re-
spect and no little sympathy. Many Of
the principles which they advocate we have
always maintained. And we could but hail
the temperance of a well-led Democratic
party. The country needs 1.-THE Repub-
licans themselves need 1t. At the same
time 1t is the part of frankness to recog-
nize the lions in the path. 1t will not do
to cry harmony, harmony, when there is
no harmony. The speakers at the Chicago
banquet yesterday-Mr. Shepard, Judge
Harmon, Congressman De Almond and the
others--spoke up bravely. but they could
not conceal the fact that their party is to-
day without fixed principles and without a
chief. 1t might be said of 1t, as Mr.. Bal
four said to Liberal friend, "All that
your party lacks is a programme and a
leader"
OF course, discussion and comparison of
views are excellent things. That way lies
the road to the elimination of unimportant
differences and to the abandonment of ca
lamitouS errors. But discussion must be
much more searching and drastic than
anything reported from Chicago If 1t Is to
lay bare the bedrock upon which party sue
cess must, in the long run, be builded One
of Lord Rosebery's recent comparisons of
the English Liberals was to a caterpillar
that had eaten UP its leaf and was looking
about for a new one. The foliage on which
the Democratic party has brOwsed for the
past seven years has certainly been most
wind of Organism the party is in search
OF solder food. What had the Chicago
banqueters to offer It? Their speeches had
a fine sound, but specter seemed to be
lurking behind each orator
Mr.. Bryan himself Is now very much of
dissolving vision. but his shade was pres
ent. 1t was most visible when Mr.. Shepard
was-arraigning the Republican party for
not having furnished the country an elastic
currency Other ghostly visitants appeared
as the various parts of the true Democratic
plaform were specified by the speaker.
1.-THE abolition of special privilege" was
just the kind OF resoundng phrase to con-
tllre up the sanity vision of Arthur Pue
German. He is now the acclaimed leader
and the implacable war which he is pre-
pared to wage on special privilege" may
be inferred. He is himself the full flower
Of special privilege. Hand in glove with
corruption in his own State, in the Senate
he has shared with Mr.. Aldrich the honor
or being the peculiar representative Of sell
fish interests. What he did in that ca
pacity to transform the Wilson tarifr bill
into an act which President Cleveland de-
nounced as tainted with perfidy is still
fresh in the general memory 1t is his re-
covered prominence in the party counsels
which will make the public grin at the idea
OF his leading an assault on special priv
ileges Is German also among the prophets?
1t was, however, sable-hued specter
which arose at the Chicago banquet when
that other duty and determination of the
Democratic party was announced-"the es-
adjustment of equal rights" Where and
among whom? If we say throughout all
sections of our country, and among blacks
as well as white.and what humbug
equal rights would be if that were not
meant-then what are we to say of the
spectacle which the Democratic party of
the South now .presents? 1t is a unit
against the equal rights Of the negro. 1t
would rob him of his vote 1t would deny
him the ordinary badge of political recog-
milton. 1t would keep him in perpetual
serfdom. We are not saying that the Re-
publicans. either South or North, are
blameless In this matter; we only ask with
what face great political party can go
into campaign, with the shibboleth of
equal rights In its mouth, when it is de-
liberately tramping upon the legal and DO
1ticai rights of millions of our own citi-
ZenS.
We put such questions simply in the
interest of political honesty. We have
to get back to first principles, even in
politics. Minor matters may be compro-
the vital questions which lay hold on the
foundations of democracy and elemental
human rights, how can two walk togeth-
or except tney De agreed! 10 our mind
the greatest danger before the Demo-
cratic party at the present Is that in its
lack of ideas and ideals there may be an
attempt made to tumble up contradictor-
les and let principles go in order to win a
seeming victory. But no electoral victory
can be desirable or lasting which has not
behind 1t the push and enthusiasm of moral
ideas. and vivid and living political concep-
tons. Napoleon used to sneer at the men
with ideas-the "idealogues," as he called
them-but the turn of the dialogues came.
as John Morley has SAID when it appeared
that the real dupes had all along not been
they, but "the giant with the sword, the
conqueror with his scourge, who had been
the victim of his own chimeras and hal
lucinations." So to-day we may be con-
fident that the men who follow princi-
pies and work toward ideals, always with
an accurate attention to the facts, have
the future in their grasp; and no political
party should be really of good cheer, or
boast itself of tomorrow, until it is in
fused with zeal for a great cause in the
advocacy Of which defeat is only less sweet
49, Al, l.