Year: 1879




1t Is an excellent plan for a party
which does not want 10 win an election
TO divide itself into two factions, each
diametrically opposed In policy TO the
other, and neither willing to vote for the
candidate or support the platform of the
other. Such q plan Of campaign has
the great merit Of certainty. 1t Is abso-
lutely sure TO secure the result aim d at.
Both the factions will be defeated, and
their opponents to whom they wish 10
hand over the Government will win
easily. Such Democrats, therefore, as
believe that 1t would be better for the
country and better even perhaps for
their own party that the Republicans
should elect their President next year,
do well to prevent by all means in their
power any harmonizing Of differences in
the Democratic party. II the Eastern
ha! !d-money Democrats will 60 on vigor-
ously shouting that they will never,
never stand on the same platform with
their Western brethren, and If the West
ern Democrats will continue In like
manner to declare defeat preferable to
a union with the East, botll factions will
have the satisfaction Of assuring the
election Of Republican President next
year by SO large q majority that no
Electoral Commission will be needed to
decide who ought to go into the White
House.


We do not mean to say that this may
not be the best thing both for the coun-
try and for the Democratic party. 1t
may be true-we do not pretend 10 know
it may he true that the Democratic
party would be the better for another
four years in the minority. There is oc-
casiOnally young fellow who, having
graduated from one college, thinks It
good training to undertake fresh four
yeas coruse in another; and there is
something perhaps TO be said for this
policy. 1t Is matter at any rate for
the Democrats to settle for themselves.
II they were agreed upon policy, and
they should go into the campaign next
| y ar united upon straightforward, ring
ing and popular Democratic platform,
and with candidate who represented
the platform, and not grievance or a
merely selfish ambition, or q big bag OF
money, or parcel Of lawsuits, 1t is un-
doubtedly possible that the possible that
the people might elect him. A great
many voters think 1t is about time for a
change; great many are tired of being
frightened year after year into voting for
the Republican candidates. good, bad, OF
Indifferent, as it may happen, on the
ground that this is necessary in order to
preserve our blessed Union. A good
many voters have of late grown suspici-
Gus of the desperate tenacity with
which the Republicans cling to Office,
and there is growing suspicion that il
they stay in any longer it way be as hard
to get them out as it was in 1851 to gel
the Democrats out. There is SOUND
sense in the desire for change; 1t shows
at any rate, the wholesome growth of ,
general conviction that the great inter
ests of the country are safe under eithe
party, and that the people do not mear
20 let their servants become their mas
ters.


But however widespread this spiril
may be, it is certain that the people who
wish for change of parties are not yet
numerous enough to be divided into two
hostile factions and then beat the Re-
publicans. Those Democrats, therefore,
who would like to get their party into
power next year ought to try to restore
harmony In its ranks. It will be too
late to do this next May or June at the
National Convention the St. Louis
Convention came near being a sort OF
Donnybrook fair, and since that time
there has been no increase of harmony.
1t may be too early, at this moment, to
move in the matter, for the fall elections
will have undoubtedly a SOLDERING effect
on one faction or perhaps OH both. But
| ,v0,, u 1,n - ccI1 al l.
known; when New York has gone Re-
publican or Democratic, As the case may
be; when General Ewing is either elect
ed or defeated when Maine has gone


ither way iu the energetic manner in
which it went for Governor Kent when
Massachusetts, has told her wishes at the
polls, and when 1t has all been talked
over: then, we suggest, it will be good
time to summon q general assemblage
of Democrats from all parts of the coun.
try and determine upon the policy oi
1880.


OF course those Democrats who will
support nobody but their own predeter-
mined candidate, on their own prede-
termined platform, had better stay away
from such convention, for it stands to
reason that there must be give and take
on all sides to come to an agreement
But there ought to be enough common
sense among the party leaders of all sec
tions to make an influential body, whose
decision as to platform and policy for
1880 should and would be final, leaving
to the nominating convention next yeal
the simple duty of naming the strongest
man to stand on it, whoever that might
p owe to be. 1t might be an Eastern OF
It might be Western man; but, who
ever he was, he would, under the circum-
ances, be sure Of solid support, for il
would not matter where he stood before
so long as he frankly and honestly accep.
ted the platform. II might happen, for
instance, that the Democrats would
declare against an income tax but
that need not prevent General Ewing
being the candidate, if he should turn
out to be the strongest man; for, what
ever he may have asserted before, when
he accepted the platform that would
necessarily represent his policy IL he
should be elected.


The republicans, who were year age
even more bitterly at loggerheads with
each other than the Democrats now, have
harmonized their diferences, even on the
money question. Last year they courted
the Greenbackers, and in the West took
to themselves tho credit of creating ire.
deemable paper money and stopping con.
traction. This year they have stopped
the mouths of their Greenbackers and
have un ted on q diametrically OpppOsite