Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1844-10-24
From the Carlisle Pennsylvania staiesmanSep 10. 1874
DICKINSON TOWNSHIP.
Proceedings of the Meeting Of the
Democratic Tariff Men of Dickin.
SON township.

Our readers will find, on the opposite page.
the proceedings of meeting of Democrats Of
Dickinson township, friendly 10 The Tariff Of
ls42-appended to which are the Letter ad.
dressed by the Committee to Mr.. Clay, and the
Letter of that gentleman in reply. |, will be
seen that Throughout, these proceedings, the Ia
riff is regarded in the ligh, of a Democratic
measure; and Tho support Of The individuals
concerned In the meeting is 10 be withheld from
Col. Polk, If withheld a. sll,) on The ground
that he is opposed 10 the Acl Of lS42. Mr..
Claws letter meets fully The views Of these
genllemen-he has unequivoc ally avowed him.
sef 10 be the friend of The Tariff Of ls42, "op.
posed TO ills repeal or modification and even
goes SO far To declare that he would ere.
gard it's repeal ss great national calami,y."-
ln all this he is perfectly consis,en, with whg
doctrine, which looks To protection" as one of
the chief ends of government. But how is il
on The other side Whs, kind of figure do
those gentlemen make, who, protesting to be
democrats. aliemp, To exact an anti-democratic
pledge from Col. Polk, and, failing in their pur.
pose, turn about and oppose him. Ii is clear
and inconlroverribe that the Tariff of ls42 is,
out aud out, a whig measure; conceived and
ed, mainly. by whig voles and designed, in
strict accordance with whig principles, as much
for prolecllon as for revenue This Tariff of
lS42, then, being whig measure. how can
men. protesting To I've democrats, objec, to Col
Polk because he is opposed 10 II To do so
is both unfair and inconsistent. If Col Polk
had responded 10 the in,errogalories Of The
Dickinson meeting in the same spirit Of friend
ship for the Aci Of 1912 iha, Mr.. Clay has
done, what would have been The result Why,
most unauesiIonably his abandonment, by al
most The entire National Democratic Parry
He could not have stood day as the leader
and champion Of democracy after endorsing The
most unjust and oppressive Act of the Whig
Congress of 1872 He could no longer have
been recognized as democral-and, after the
repeated expressions of opinion against that &C,
which he has given, which were well known
TO The National Convention from whom he re.
ceived his nomination, and TO the people to
whose suppor, that body recommended him,
sudden change from hostility TO friendship for
the Act of 1912. must have lost him the respec.
as well as the support Of the democratic party
from Maine TO Georgia. He would have been
looked upon as a changeIing-as a man OF
tious aspiran, who was willing TO make any
sacrifice for the sake of office and the exalted
repuiaion which he had acquired only through
the toll and sacrifices Of years, would have
been blasted in moment and for ever Was
this the condition 10 which the men Of Dckin.
.on desired 10 reduce The candidate of their
party! We have better opinion Of them than
10 believe so. Why, then, did they proceed
as they have done! The answer Is plain
they acted under the influence of wrong i'm
pressions They started out with the idea that
The Tariff OF 1912 was democratic measure
thai protection" was democratic principle
And how came they to labor under This strange
delusion! Need any man ask the question
Why, lens of thousands of The honest democ-
racy OF Pennsylvania are al this momen, cher.
ishlng this same fallacy-and when they come
to be convinced that James X. Polk is opposed
10 The doctrine of protection" like the men of
Dickinson they will desert him, because they
have been led 10 believe that protection" was
q democratic doctrine, and they will regard Mr..
Folks hostility TO protection as an abandonment
of democratic principles. This is one of The
bitter aud blasting results Of the deceptive and
fraudulent course pursued by the so-called
Democratic Press of this commonwealth il is
one Of the poisonous fruits OF that system Of
sophisiry and falsehood which, wi,hou, soil
tary exception iha, we know of, has been re-
sor,ed 10 by The travelling orators and township
drill sergeanis and whippess-in Of the party
Instead Of honestly avowing the true and long.
cherished principles Of the party, showing their
superiority over those of their opponents, and
preparing The minds Of The people TO receive
Them as The genuine offspring OF the Jef1erso.
nan credible base ihieves, these editors and
orators have thus far spent the campaign in
stealing scions from the whig nursery and en-.
deavoring to engrafi them on democratic stocks.
Thus has false issue been presented to The
democracy by the men in whom they trusted,
and whom the principle Of gratitude for conf
dence generously bestowed, should have made
honest and faithful 10 the trust. Time and
again have we protested against The anli-demo-
cratic course pursued by the presses, orators,
and leaders OF The democratic party. We have
admonished them Of The weakness of their pol.
,cy. aud the dangers Of their course. We have
condemned the wickedness OF the frauds they
were practising, and invited them TO return 10
the maths Of uiruth and soberce.sD R,, ouy