The Present Political Outlook: II. Democratic View [pp. 145-149]

OVERLAND MONTHLY
circumstances, the administration and the
Republican party were against the war they
now lean on to save them from defeat in
the congressional campaign of this fall.
And they would be still against that policy
of war had they not found that it was politics to steal Democratic clothes and wear
them.
The superior heart of the nation forced
the unwilling hand of Mr. Hanna and his
cold-nosed party. By changing front on
the Cuban question the Republican party
gained some chance of a Republican House,
otherwise there would have been none whatever.
The Democratic party does not claim the
Cuban war as its own. Although Democratic platforms declared for recognition of
Cuban independence or belligerency when
Republican platforms were silent or at most
offering "sympathy," and Democratic papers
presented proofs of the unparalleled horrors of Weyler's rule which the unanimous
Republican press discredited, and Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress
offered resolutions calling for investigation
and intervention which a Republican Speaker
or a Republican Foreign Affairs Committee
smothered, and knowing too that the bold
stand of today was taken by Republican administration and Congress only when they
saw that every other pathway led to political destruction, yet the Democratic party
willingly shares with its rival the glory of
this struggle, which makes for the dignity
of the nation, its respect among its fellows,
and the extending of the area of civilization and human rights as believed in by us
and exemplified in our institutions. If to
Cuba comes freedom, and if to our own
country is added rich territory and our station is made more secure as a world power,
we should rejoice neither as Republicans
nor Democrats but as citizens of the Republic of the United States.
Not only is such a campaign cry unworthy
of a national party but it is a senseless one
when addressed to men who know anything
about the procession of Congresses. The
House of Representatives elected this fall
does not go into office until a year from
next November. Long before that time
the war will be over, if not even before the
election itself. So that it can make no
difference as to the conduct of the war what
sort of a House may be elected this year.
If so preposterous a supposition should be
indulged as that a Democratic House would
not as loyally uphold the hands of a Republican President in time of war as could
any Republican body, we still see that the
war issue should play no part in the election of Congressmen because the war will
be dead before the men elected this year
take their seats.
Eliminate the war as an issue, and in
what position does it leave the Republican
party? If we go back to December of last
year, we find the Republican party disgusted with its later career and hopeless of
success at the coming election. Their tariff
measure had already proved a deficiencymaker millions worse than its much berated
predecessor. Congress could not be brought
into line on any consistent course of dealing with the nation's finances. A knot of
senatorial bosses spoke for the administration and apparently controlled congressional
action. The country had little faith in the
independence and broad statesmanship of
the President or his chief counselors. The
people were not satisfied with the efforts
made by the Republican party to redeem
its pledges by prompt and effective legislation. Business men failed to experience a
new impulse in trade, and capital seemed
quite as shy and self-appreciative as it had
been under Mr. Cleveland. Money did not
crowd the ships coming from Europe, but
on the contrary gold shipments were working up to the old danger point. The laboring men who had been promised a prompt
and substantial rise in wages found after
two years of Republican policy that their
lot was no better than it had been; strikes
continued, mills remained closed, trusts
gathered in or drove out small enterprises.
Republicans were forced to apologize and
explain. The wave of prosperity did not
come. They denied that they had ever promised it. In place of the wave, they said,
there was rising a very slow but steady
tide, but for this to reach an appreciable
height we must wait.
Thus had the fair promises dwindled in
fact into nothing more than the gradual
reaction which inevitably follows a serious
period of depression. Statesmanship had
not done this. Congress was not to be
given the credit. Natural law was but
taking its course.
The result of this disappointment among
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