Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-08-05
The Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party.
From Harper's Weekly.
! The recent result in Virginia shoE,
plainly enough the dilemha of the Ole
Democratic party, which is Confirmed by
its action in the Northern States. Itha:
hitherto held teDaciousiy not only u
what it calls the inferiority OF the negro
4 but to its refusal TO allow him political
equality. But upon this very point the
party is now divided. In Virginia the
/ Democratic vote is east solid for negro
suffrage. In California and Ohio negro
suffrage is denounced. In Massachusetts
/ Judge J. G. Abbott, one of the chic
! Democratic leaders, writes TO Tammany
/ Hall that reconstruction and negro suf.
! frage have been finally settled, however
\ wrongly, and Tammany Hall responds
by glorifying the principle of the rebel
lion. The New York World urges ac-
quiesence in what is evidently accom-
plished, and hopes for the nomination
of General Hancock in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania replies by denouncing the
Fifteenth Amendment, which Virginia
accepts, and by nominating a typical
Copperhead for Governor. The Ohio
Democracy virtually declares fer repudi-
alton, and the Iowa for the strict letter OF
the contract. The party agrees only in
vague denunciations of 'despotism' and
scrupulous majorities," which, as il
knows, mean nothing, and furnish no
issues for an election.
This condition of affais merely illus
trates the old truth that the Northern
Democratic party was an instrument
used wholly by Southern leaders for
Southern purposes. During the last ten
years it has had but one moment of ap-
parent revival and that was at the open
ing of the last Presidential campaign.
The reason was, that the Southern
leaders returned for that occasion from
rebellion 10 the control of the party
The result was its defeat, despite its
desperate frauds in New York Penn
sylvania, and Indiana. But now that
the Southern leaders have again with
drawn, the party drifts and drivels
among its old dogmas, wholly unable to
confront the situation and to adapt itself
to the utterly changed aspect of affairs.
1t is paying the penalty of its old sub
serviency 10 Southern mastery. That
mastery forbade independence and re-
warded the meanest servility. 1t humil
lated Dix and Douglas, and promoted
Pierce and Buchanan.
As national party, protesting certain
great principles and advocating dis
tinct policy, the Democratic party does
not exist; but as an organization for
place and plunder it is sill powerful
1t is the camp of all the discontented
and disaffected. Itrelies upon ignorance
and passion, and watches eagerly for the
mistakes of the party in power. While
its Northern wing fears to ALLEVIATE its
Sntif harm hxr ont n1tIa1 rinnfl tho
Southern wing pToclaims them and
sneers at its Northern allies. Such is the
ludicrous and pitiful dilemma of those
allies that there can be no doubt, if the
Northern conventions, had been held
after the result in Virginia had been
fully considered, they would all have
followed the lead of its indication, and
have done what Judge Abbott advised
Tammany Hall to do. With what pro-
found contempt man like Wade
Hampton must watch the fiabby pOliti-l
cal feebleness of his old lackeys!
Meanwhile an organized party intent
upon obtaining power at all hazards is
to be carefully watched also by those
who know in what way it hopes to graf
ify its desires. By the stupid system of
President, to which We still
pertinaciously cling, the most important |
of all elections is especially exposed to
fraud. The real Presidential campaign
is now always conducted in three States
whose vote is decisive. Last year the
of the Presidency was
New York, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
The electoral vote in these States might
have decided the result against immense
popular maiorities elsewhere. Thus the
election of the President is not necessa-
lily the expression of the popular will.
The Democratic monagers would hard
iy expect, under any circumstances, to
poll an actual majority of the votes cast
at the next national election; but they
have shown, in the States mentioned,
how they will not scruple to attempt to
carry the ELECTORAL vote Mr.. Charles 4
Francis Adams, Jun., in his striking Il
paper before the Social Science sAssoci- ,
alton, at Albany, last winter, shows that
ten thousand majority for the Seymour 4
electoral ticket in New York had the
same legal influence upon the result as {
)ne hundred and sixty thousand for S
;he Grant ELECTORAL ticket in Illinois,
and Vermont. 1t is {
notorious that that majority was fraud
Ilent. The methods are known. The |
,bief method was system of dishonest
of which Tammany Hall &
vas the headquarters. The Democra- /.
ic party every whereopposesany scheme I
or purifying the ballot-boxI; and its re- i
lance for the next general election is a c
and developmentina few l
States of the method that carried New G
York last year. IE.1 II
Do we therefore claim that all honest \
men belong TO the Republican party ? j
By no means. But wesdo most heartily 6
epudiate the puerility that one party is |
8 bad as the other. If this were true t
here would be no Union to-day. The a
republican party has questionable s
members, and undoubtedly makes mis- Q
axes. But it is always that party which b
trives to protect the purity of the polls, |
nd which relies upon the intelligence v
nd conscience of the country. The g
reat frauds which have been practiced t
r attempted upon the expressions of the
onest will of the people connot be
harged to the Republican party; they
re identified with their opponents. L
AS party of principles, then, we re- Il
eat, the Democratic party has ceased to e
e formidable; but as conspiracy '
gains honest elections it tstilichailenges s
be vigilance of every man who values c
rue popular government 1t is to be re. j
nembered that all who Justify the re- 1
ellion and pledged the "lost causes'- n
IL who would repudiate the national a
ebet and dishonor the national name
II who would perpetuate hostilities of Z
ace-all who disbelieve in popular gov
who oppose a registry and .
Is strict enforcement--the ignorant and o
he dangerous part of the population y
nstinctively ally themselves to the g
arty that is responsible for the vast :
ystem of electoral frauds. Is this the 1
'arty to which the people of Main,
Ohio, and Iowa wish 20 q
onfide the welfare of their States? IN
OF the Republican Party r
I'm Virginia. f- i v
RICHMOND, July 31.-Jno. W.. Jenk F