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Show LEADERS OF DEMOCRACY HONOR TILDEN'S MEMORY .New York, Feb. 15. Democrats prominent in this and other sec- tions of the country met at dinner i tonight by invitation of the Brooklyn j Democratic -club at the Germania club rooms in Brooklyn to do honor to the i memory of Samuel J. Tilden. Three hundred and fifty men sat at the ta- bles. Among the guests were former Governor Robert E. Pattison of Pennsylvania, Penn-sylvania, W. Bourke Cochran, Representative Repre-sentative De Armond of Missouri, Edward Ed-ward M. Shepard, John E. Redmond, Louis Nixon, Justice William J. Gay-nor Gay-nor and ex-Comptroller Coler. A number num-ber of letters of regret were read. Ex-President Ex-President Cleveland wrote: At a time wnen the benencience and sufficiency of principles of pure Democracy commend themselves so plainly to our countrymen who are honest-minded, and at a time when Democratic opportunity so palpably awaits' their sturdy and consistent advocacy, ad-vocacy, it is especially appropriate that those who profess our party faith should celebrate this anniversary with enthusiasm. "Ir any effort to put the Democratic ship upon its true course, light and inspiration will be afforded by a contemplation con-templation of the career of the great leader who. resisting every strange temptation and all false lights, steadfastly stead-fastly followed the old and safe landmarks land-marks of Democratic doctrine; and those who sincerely labor for a return of Democratic triumphs will find their strongest hope and encouragement in recalling the victories won under the standard which Samuel J. Tilden held aloft.". Richard Olney wrote: "I venture to suggest the following sentiment as pertinent to the occasion: "The memory of Samuel J. Tilden not only a wise and resourceful party leader, but a statesman of the first rank. His patriotism was pure and ardent: his knowledge of political science sci-ence profound; his conviction of the superiority of the American people and in the efficacy of appeals to their reason rea-son and conscience unbounded. With him the distinctively American ideals government only by consent of the governed, no taxation without with-out representation nor except for the actual needs of the government, gov-ernment, personal liberty and freedom of speech, limited only by that order, which, is heaven's .first law; equal opportunities under government for all, without favoritism for either individuals or classes. These things with him did not resolve themselves into mere sounding phrases running trippingly from the tongue to catch the ears of' the groundlings. They were living principles by which political action ac-tion was to be guided and political aime'and aspirations to be determined. "Though a revolution in our form of gpvernment may not yet be on foot, the plain tendencies of the policies and measures of the dominant party since the outbreak of the Spanish war is to destroy the ideals which were once the peculiar glory of the American people, and the loss of which makes governmental govern-mental form of but slight moment. "The Democratic party, at this hour and at a critical stage of the national life, can in no other way deserve so well of the country and of the human race as by reaffirming its allegiance to the vital features of our American policy pol-icy and by declaring its unwavering opposition to every attempt to eliminate elimin-ate or emasculate them." William J. Bryan sent a deep expression expres-sion of regret and in a postscript added: "Enclosed editorial on 'Steadfastness' will .serve as a sentiment in case you desire one." The first paragraph of the editorial said: "A party must have' principles or it can have no claim on public confidence, and how can it commend its principles better than by standing by them? Who will have faith in the creed of a party if the party stands ready to barter bar-ter away its creed in exchange for a promise of patronage? A halting, hesitating, hesi-tating, vacillating course not only fails to invite recruits, but it alienates and drives away veterans. The party that has no higher purpose thar to save its own life. will die because it deserves to die; the party that is willing to die. If. need be for the saks of a great cause, will live because it deserves to live." David B. Hill sent an eulogy of Tilden Til-den and declared that the party should profit by his great example. Following a brief welcome by Chairman Chair-man Metz, ex-Governor Pattison, the first speaker, deprecated the policy of the Republicans in their treatment of Cuba, Porto Rica and the Philippines. Congressman De Armond spoke in the same strain, and Lewis Nixon. Tammany Tam-many Hall's leader, asked for a united Democratic party in Brooklyn, New-York New-York City and state, so that victory in future r.nntoatc tinnM do o Bourke Cochran came next. "It seems to me," began Mr. Cochran, "that at this time when many men believe be-lieve the disasters which have overtaken over-taken the Democratic party portend its final collapse, we will honor Tilden's memory most fittingly by recalling how he led it from disasters more crushing thirty years ago to a series of brilliant bril-liant victories and a long season of patriotic usefulness. If there be any difference in the conditions of the Democratic Dem-ocratic party at the beginning of 1902 and the condition at the close of 1872, it is that its present prospects are now less desperate than they seemed to be then. In 1S72 the Democrats made an alliance with an off-shoot of the Republican Re-publican party called the Liberal Republicansand Re-publicansand the renewal of the experiment ex-periment has resulted in a repetition of the experience. "The defeat of the party then was so overwhelming that its final destruction was anticipated by the opposition, just aa Republican orators and newspapers affect to believe that its extinction has been irrevocably decreed by recent reverses. re-verses. "Republican ascendancy seemed so secure that in 1874 it was difficult to find a candidate who would accept. The campaign proceeded amid an apathy characteristic of a foregone and inevitable inevit-able conclusion; hardly a meeting was held, scarcely a bet was recorded; the utmost that the most sanguine Democrat Demo-crat hoped to accomplish was the reduction re-duction of the Republican majority, yet when the votes were counted at the close of a very, peaceful and apparently listless' election day, it was found that the ground on which Republican confidence con-fidence . appeared to-: rest in absolute safety had been rent and torn by a political . earthquake, Republican supremacy su-premacy was subverted by a revolution bew ildering in its completeness. Tne house of representatives, which had been overwhelmingly Republican, became Democratic by an equally dicisive preponderance. States which had been loyal to the Republican Repub-lican party since its foundation, elected Democratic administrations.. Even Massachusetts and Pennsylvania broke- loose from their Republican moorings, while in this state the majority ma-jority of 50,000 cast for Dix in 1872 was reversed, and Samuel J. Tilden was elected governor by a majority of almost al-most equal proportions. The party which had been pronounced dead awoke to a new life. During the twenty years which followed the Democracy elected its candidate for the presidency three times and twice it inaugurated him. It controlled the house of representatives continuously, with the exception of two congresses." Mr. Cochran asked if it was "then unreasonable to hope that what has happened before may happen again?" and proceeded to point out at length that "if the Democracy is to win in 1902 it must accept the lesson taught by Tilden' leadership in 1874." "Our opponents," said he, "differ more widely on great public questions than we do, but among Republicans divergence on the views never interferes inter-feres with their co-operation in pursuit pur-suit of office. Their speeches show radical conflict on every public question: ques-tion: on reciprocity, on ship subsidies, on imperialism, on the retention of the Philippines, on the treatment of Cuba, yet these differences have never hindered hin-dered them and never will hinder them from supporting unitedly and enthusiastically enthusi-astically the party candidates. "The reason," continued the speaker, "why divisions of opinion do not prevent pre-vent Republicans from remaining united at the polls, while differences much less serious suffice to tear the Democracy into factions and reduce it to impotence is perfectly plain. Republicans Re-publicans are in politics for themselves. Democrats for their country. Republicans Repub-licans profess principles to secure power: pow-er: Democrats seek power to enforce principles. Republicans allow nothing to interfere with success in getting possession of office: Democrats will sacrifice all prospects of office rather than suppress or compromise an opinion." Mr. Cochran said there was no need to seek an issue, and added: "Imperialism, w ith its inseparable object, ob-ject, plunder, was the issue in 1874, as it is and must be the issue now. The same predatory purposes dominated the Republican party then that dominate dom-inate it now. Its defeat is essential to the safety of the republic now as it was then." Edward M. Shepard also spoke. |