Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-09-23
BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL
THEM.

other, is an all sufficient and unanswera-
BILE argument why the Government
should not be again entrusted to the Dem
cratic party That reason is simply this
the Democratic party has been faith
fully tried and found utterly unfit for
and unworthy Of the high Office From
1852 to 1860 it had the exclusive con
troll of all departments of the Govern
ment. When it succeeded to power, the
nation was blessed with peace, plenty and
prosperity. In 1860 it was called upon
to transfer to another party the control
Of national affairs, and mark the change
which eight years of Democratic ascend
ency had wrought in the nation. It de-
livered up to its successors a country dis
tracted by civil war treasury emptied
Of its last dollar; an army dispersed
throughout the most distant parts of our
territory; navy scattered to all parts of
the world, and all the arms and NUM-
tions of war transferred to the hands of
the enemy. Internal improvements were
at standstill, private enterprise was
crushed out by financial disasters, and
general distrust and apprehension pre-
vailed throughout the land These were
tie bitter results of eight years of Dem
ocratic misrule
But this charge is not the only one
against the Democratic party--its con :
duct during the war also proves that it
would be dangerous and Enthusiastically
agents with which to commit the charge
Of national affairs. The new administra.
ton carried on the war already provided
for it with vigor, but it was years before
it could recover from the great disadvan-
tages under which it had been placed,
and stand even handed with the rebel
lious power. During all those dark years
of struggle, the democratic party gave its
active sympathy and virtual alliance 10
the enemies of the country. When the
time for national election drew nigh, it
came forward and pronounced the war a
failure and asked to again rule the coun-
try it had so nearly ruined But the
people said no, and the war confined
for another year, when, in spite of the
sympathy and assistance of this party, the
enemy was subdued.
We therefore charge upon the Demo
cratic party in addition to the crime of
bringing the war upon the country, the
no less crime of prolonging its existence
for years, by its wicked course, and
thereby sacrificing needlessly thousands
of lives and adding millions to our ma,
tional debt
But there is still another charge against
this party of scarcely less Importance than
the others. After the war came the diff
fcult task of rebuilding the ruins. The
Democratic party with it's usual oficious
ness, proposed to dictate the disposal of
victory in which, to say the least, it had
no share, and said-let the rebels have
all their former right except to hold
slaves, and let the freedmen have no civil
nor political privileges. The Repubi-
can party said-let US build firmly and
enduringly on the principle that 10 yal
men shall rule what loyal men have pre-
served. In accordance with this just and
reasonable plan the work of restoration
has gone on for the last three years, and
we charge it upon the Democratic party
that it has persistently numbered the work
by every means in its power; that it has
fomented iiscords that it has encour-
aged resistance to law, and that the pres
ent unsettled state of affairs in the South
is due to its direct encouragement and
influence.
The time for another national election
is at hand and each of these two parties
ask again for the control Of the Govern
ment, The question for every voter to