The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-01
A Remarkab,e Prediction.

VII 4 49,
Cctennial. covering a period OF forty
four years. the republican party mas
celebrated the death and burial OF its
tough old adversary. its only. forr1id-
able competitor. the party or JeTer-
son and jackson" About this time II
every presidential campaign since -ss6
IL has been the republican habit %
anticipate a sweeping victory In ths
ensuing elections. TO. assume the de-
mise or its opponent. and TO max ar
rangements for the funeral On al o.
these occasions the republican presum-
ton has been that there would BE
enough left of b crushed democracy
TO constitute an excuse for a funeral.
The most optimistic forecasters OF. the
G. o. p. have new hitherto predicted
the absolute and utter extinction, the
total blotting out of the enemy, through
a process OF subtraction guaranteed TO
leave no remainder. But the pending
camraign, unique in many other res
poets, exceptional in nearly all its con-
ditions n situations, is equally Pie
nominal in that it presents the unprec-
edented forecast Of democratic 'anni-
hiiation." The authority for this PEE
diction is the New York Press, a loyal
and jealous organ OF the adm inistra-
ton although it d-nounced Mckinley
and Roosevelt as free traders in the
matter of "our plain duty" toward The
Porto Ricans End came to the suppor-
of Roosevelt when he changed from
traiff revisionist to standpatter.
Not content with a forecast that
would leave a chance for a democratic
funeral, the Press sees Judge Parker
party pitching headlong to annihila-
tion." and it puts hat tragic spectA-
Gle into big, black type. its usual way
CT indicating an ELECTION OF JOY. II
would be bad enough. indeed it would
be a greet national calan ty, for Judge
Parker's party To go ito humiliation"
if It proceeded thence with dignifcd
solemnity, ''firm-paced and Slow the
band playing a funeral march. But
pitching headlong" 10 that awful
destiny-what an ending of a great
careeri
And if Judge Parker's party buries
itself in non-eXistence. if it steps out.
leaving only a void, what subtsitute
Will the G.. o. p. be able to procure for
the Indispensable central object of
the fneral? 1t is not Possible TO bury
an intangible thing, a Some
thing material must be in hand in or
der to get VI a decent semblsnce of a
burying. Hcyt, in his A Milk White
Flag" gives a pathetic account Of the
distressful straits TO which a military
organization was reduced when it felt
compelled to have a funeral and no
corpse was available. Will the G.. o. 2.
be as enteIprising as was that famous
organization? Will it permit Tom
Watson's or Ir. Swallows aggregation
to take the rrole of mortal remains?
Or will it permit it's soul to be satisfied
by gazing into the vast void and re-
calling the fun it hes had at sundry
funerals in the past? But it cannon
rNnGCIhlx- Crnf .-n rr ~, ~ IO-n 1CCA
or 1892. And not until the votes are
counted will it be POSSIBLE for the re-
publican managers to be sure Of the
victory this year. They sarted in with
the weight of Probabilities on their
side, and, judging from surface indi-
cations, the chances are now in their
favor. But was not that the case IN
1892? The history Of that memorable
year may be repeated in 1904.
Under that big black headline,
showing Judge Parker's parry pitch
ing headlong tC annihilation," The
Press, with a view to expediting tie
pitching" says: Nothing that Mr..
Parker can do now can save him from
a beating that will dignity Mr.. Bryan
by comparison into a great leader.
Nothing that his trust magnates can
do now can rescue their party from
shapeless ruins that viewed with Mr.
Bryan party Will make 1t a work of
majesty. There is nothing for the
democratic party and mis- MI. Belmonts
but colossal disaster" Surprising that
wild guess should happen TO be verified
by the of votes. would it be we'll
for the country? Would it not be a
national misfortune if the effort to
unite the democracy on a conservative
platform should result in a way to
promote the plans and hopes Of Mr..
Bryan? All intelligent citizens recog-
nize the necessity Tor a etrong and
safe opposition. 1t IS only the blind and
needless partisan, the man of narrow
views and the prejudice of a bigot.
who believes in or desires the perpet-
ia domination Of n party by reason
OF the generalization of the opposition.
The wise republican ought to desire
for the democracy this year all the
success possible short of victory
Washington Post.