Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-08-13
The Democratic Party

The recent resultvin Virginia shows
:. plainly enough the dilemma OF the ola
Democratic party, which is confirmed py
it's action in the Northern States 1t has
hitherto eldtenaciously not only,to what
it calls the inferiority Of the negro, but 70
its refusal to allow him political equality
But upon this very point the party is now
divided. In Virginia the Democratic vote
is cast solid for negro suffrage In, Cali
fornia and Ohio negro suffrage is de-
nounced In Massachusetts, Judge G. Alb
bott, one of the chief Democratic leaders,
writes to Tammany Hall that sreconstruc-s I
ton and negro suffrage have been finally
3 settled, however wrongly, and Tammany
Hall responds by clarifying the principle
of the rebellion. The New York, Worh
accomplished, and hopes for the nomina
ton of General Hancock in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania replies by denouncing the
Fifteenth Amendment, which Virginia
accepts, and by nominating typical Cop
.perhead for Governor. The Ohio Democ-
racy virtually declares for reputation, and
the Iowa for the strict letter of the con-
tract. The party agrees only in vague de-
rlunciations of "despotism" and " CEN
tralization" and tyranny" and Gun
scrupulous majorities," which, as itknows
mean nothing, and furnish no issues for
an election. go, 80. -,
This condition of affairs merely illus
trates the old truth that the Northern
Democratic party was an instrument used
wholly by Southern leaders for Southern
purposes During the lastten years it has
had but one moment of apparent revival,
and that was at the opening of the last
Presidential campaign. The reason was,
that the Southern leaders returned for that
81 occasion from rebellion to the control of
the party The result was its defeat, de-
spite its desperate frauds in New York,
Pennsylvania, 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 subservi-
ency to Southern mastery. That mastery
forbade, Independence and rewarded the,
raeanest servility 1t Inundated Dix and
Douglas, and promoted Pierce and Blu
chanan. fYlfIV EU VTWTT(SgA n
AS a national party, protesting certain
great principles and advocating a distinct
policy, the Democratic party does not
exist; but as an organization for place and
,.a plumber it is still powerful. 1t is the camp
~ OF all the discontented and disaffected 1t
- relies upon ignorance and passion, and
d, watches eagerly for the mistakes of the
80 party in power.aWhile its Northern wing
zig fears to ALLEVIATE its Southern by accepting
equal rights, the Southern wing proclaims
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 fol
j. ~ lowed the lead Of its indication, and have
.as done what Judge Abbott advised Tam
-. many Hall to do. With what profound
contempt man like Wade Hampton must
,a3watch the f1abby political feebIe1iess of his
old iackeys! nBC .9saed9 -Te7fH&
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 crafty its
'a' desires. By the stupid system Of electing
"a President, to which we still pertinacious-
~ cling, the most important of all elections
is especially exposed to fraud. THE real
Presidential campaign is now always con
Quoted in three or four States whose vote
is decisive. Last year the battle ground
OF the, Presidency was New. York, Penn
sylvania, and Indiana The electoral
vote In these States might have decided
the, result against immense popular ma
the President is not necessarily the ex
preston of the popular will. :.
&c The Democratic managers would hardly
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
= q VIII not scruple ito attempt to carry the
~ electoral vote. Mr. Charles Francis
Adams. Jun, in his striking paper before
the Social Science Association, at Albany,
last winter, shows that ten thousand ma.
Jorlty Tor the Seymour electoral ticket in
New York had the same legal influence
&c upon the result as one hundred and sixty
thousand majority for the Grant electoral
ticket in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Yer
mont. 1t is notorious that that majority
was fraudulent. Tie methods are known
The chief method was system of dis
honest naturalization, of which Tammany
Hall was the headquarters. The Demo
cratic party everywhere opposes any
scheme for purifying. the ballot-box; and
its reliance for the next general election is
concentration and development in a few
States of the method that carried New
York last year., ~ =. ~
Do we therefore claim that all honest
:, men belong to the Republican party ?
- By no means. But we do most heartily
2a' .repudiate the puerility that one party is as
o. bad as another. If this were true there
. would be no Union to-day. The Re-
publican party has questionable mem
ESQ beers, and undoubtedly makes mistakes.
But it is always that party which strives
r. TO protect. the purity of the polls and
s which relies upon the intelligence and
conscience of the country The great
'as frauds which have been practiced or at.
tempted upon the expression of the honest
VIII OF the people can not be charged to
the Republican, party; they are identified
With their opponents. i9tgF#
AS party of principles, then, we re,
peat, the Democratic party has ceased to
be formidable x but as a conspiracy against
honest elections it still challenges the yipi.
-. 80 lance OF every man who values true popu
lar government. 1t is to be remembered
that all who justify the rebellion and
pledge the g lost cause all who would
repudiate the national debt and dishono,
the national name-all who disbelieye in
popular governmental who would per
=, q, petuate hostilities of racial who OPPOSE
.,a a registry and its strict enforcement
Ignorant and the dangerous part of the
opulatlon-instinctivel ally themseluA.
nihA-f>~~ey FUrIaG- rs resp0nSih1e Tor the
.,sAst 10y esoi,,-@of electoral frauds. Is thi,
~ the party to which the people of Maine
Pennsylvania. Ohio, and Iowa wish r.
confide the welfare of their States ~
Harper's Weekly. ..l 2