The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-09-08

The Democracy should assert, with re-
newed FigOr and determination, its old dec |
laration in favor of specie basis and q
paper currency, convertible at par into
coin at the will of the holder, and should
take prompt and eff1cacious measures to
raise our bonds to where the security they
offer and interest they bear ought TO place
them, so as to draw greenbacks after them
to par with the least possible delay. This
will relieve all classes, especially the labor
ing, and augmenting the value Of our cir
culatiOn % per cent, give a healthy and
vigorous impulse to every department Of
business and industry.
3. The fundamental principles of free
trade, and that all taxation should fall as
directly as possible on all members of So
ciety, in proportion to their ability to pay,
have always been held by the Democracy.
The aim of its legislation must, therefore,
be as much as possible to reduce the amt,
and diminish the number of indirect taxes,
and to levy such as are necessary for reVe-
nue., having due regard to the principle
that the wealth of q nation consisting in
its productive industry, whatever faVOrs
the greatest amount of this in the masses
| is to be favored and whatever fosters spec
ial kinds and classes to its detriment is to
be opposed by the Democracy.
4. Democracy opposes all kinds of class
legislation, refusing to rob the itch for the
benefit of the poor, or the poor for ths
| benefit of the rich. and views with equal
abhorrence the partisan of unjust claims
and the advocate of the reputation of Just
ones. But knowing that legal provision
| for the security of private property gener-
/ ally sutices for the protection of the rich,
Democracy, without violating individual
| rights, will always aim to educate and ele-
vate the masses of the people.
| 5. Offices should be created only when
| clearly demanded by necessary public busi-
ness, and such salaries be paid as the na-
ture and importance of the business require
leaving no just grounds of complaint or ex-
cuse for peculatiOn.
4 Official power is q trust for the common
| good which no public officer has right to
use for his private benefit, and whoever
does so is q greater scoundrel than he who
misapplIes funds in his trust, because the
official trust is more sacred, and the wrong
done more difficult to detect and measure.
| Regarding all officers as servants of the
4 people, and trustees of power for the com
mon veal, Democracy faYors such modes
of appointments and tenuIes of. office, as
reason and experience show best calculated
to secure good conduct and efficiency in
the public service, without regard to pri-
Vate interests, public customs or individual
pretensiOns.
Reason and experience alike condemn
frequent and needless changes of public
officers, and the generally prevailing prac-
tice of making them for public benefit in
stead of the public good, is acting in great
matters of the StatS and nation, on q prin-
ciple which would ruin any private busi-
ness, and, unless corrected, will bring the
administration of free government into de-
served contempt. II is essentially opposed
to the principles of Democratic govern
ment, and it behooves the Democracy of
the United States to make war on the prac-
tice without truce or delay.
| 6. The immense increase of National
Executive patronage, placing upwards of
one hundred thousand offices, besides nu.
merous minor positions of emolument at
his disposal, and the habit of changing the
incumbents to secure or reward Executive
partisanship, have become dangerous to
tho liberties of the country and demand
prompt and eficacious remedy.
That remedy, at least in part and nu
merous important national advantages, may
be found, by providing that no President
shall be eligible for more than one term,
without a joint resolution of Congress,
passed by q two thirds vote in each House,
|
same, and further declaration that the
Presidential term shall be extended to SIX
years.
7. The Democratic doctrine of suffrage
requires distinct reaffirmation.
Democracy has always held that suffrage
is not a natural right of every human be-
ing, nor of particular sex or race, but 8
political privilege, and who should exer'
else it q question to be decided by what
will produce greatest good to the greatest
number, and therefore, a. far as possible,
to be determined locally where lays the
great body of the rights of the people.
But in these local discussions the Demo
cratic idea faVors q broad rather than q
narrow basis of suffrage. It is not un'
mindful or regardless of the rights of wo'
men, or minors, of property and inferior
races, but seeing other effective and ad'
Yantageous ways in which these can have
their influence on all legislation affecting
their interests, at present it prefers giving
the right of voting to manhood and qualif
cations which tend to create bonds of po'
litical brotherhood between the rich and
poor, based on mutual interests, and to
avert conflicts between capital and labor.
The caucus system, invented by the De-
mocracy as practical way of finding out
VINO is q proper person TO be voted for
where constituency Is too large to know
each other personally, and, in spite of its
glaring imperfections and co-ruptions now
adopted by all parties, should be improved
by the Democracy, and carefully regulated
by wise provisions OF law.
These views believe TO be explicitly OF
inexplicitly held by three fourths of ouI
voting population and only require distinct
Democratic enunciatiOn to elicit substaa
La
know that neither public policy based on
passions nor radicalism per sc can long rule
without running the country and would be
glad to combine, for the public good, on
grounds that would restore our State and
national administrations to the spirit and
practices of Democratic republican sim-
plicity.
Should there be Democrats VIII ose men
tal@UrgsnisatiOn or temper does not permit
them to recognize existing facts, or Con.
form their action to great popular changes,
let them, for the public:s.gOod, abdicate
leadership, and leave the energies of the
people free to act in the line of life and
progress.
The exceptional political condition of
parties, and my desire to recall well known
; fundamental principles, and indicate some
of the logical consequences and applica
] tlonss In my Judgment vitality important tC
the future of our country and the cause Of
free government, must be my apology fol
the length of this letter.
Thanking you for your cOrdiality and
kindness in communicating my nomma-
ton, and begging, through you, to thanh
your constituency for it, remain, geRtle-
tlemen, very truly, your friend,
c w. S. ROSECRANS.
/. Gen. G. w. Morgan,
? Gen. Durbin Ward,
8 Hon. Lewellen Baker, Committee.
t Hon. ]. H. HeatOn,
a Hon. j. H. Putnam,