The weekly standard., 1869-10-06
=, w., cons,i,ntes . g eTrue Democrat ?,

what Constitutes ssTrue Democrat ?''
This question is often asked and no one
seems able or willing to answer it. Phe
"Democrats of the different States have
as many different characteristics as there
are States. Many of them are ashamed to
tell their principles, for which we don't
blame them
1t is now certain that Reputation is the
most general feature of the Democratic pol
icy, notwithstanding the feeble denials OF
some Democratic papers.
All remember the following doctrine laid
down by the Salisbury Examiner, which is
virtually a condensation of the platform OF
the New York Democracy, as laid down by
BRICK PoMERoY's paper: @t
Reputation means liberty to the masses.
Reputation means freedom from the
enormous taxes imposed by most infamous
and accursed Radical legislation.
Republication means the best remedy against
tyranny and oppression.
Reputation means, opposition to official
SW1nQ1nS VI tHe peoPlo. :
Reputation means protection against a
moneyed aristocracy. against government
frauds and usurpations. ,... IN.
The people all know the so-called nation
al war debt is swindle. They know that
it is child of usurpation-b -begotten outside
of the constitution, to carry on an unholy
and ungodly war against the unoffending
and much wronged people of sovereign
States. ,.-...
The fact that the above is all unmitiga-
ted nonsense but adds to the probability OF
its being universally adopted by the g" De
mocracy." I,. - -.,
The Democrats of Mercer county, Ohio,
the strongest Democratic county in the
State, also adopt reputation, as will be seen
by the following resolutions passed by them
"Re@1ced W the Democracy Of Mercer
County, in Convention assembled, That we are
in favor of the repudiatiOn of the bonded
debt of the United States. f.i.st 50.
"Resozced, That our members of Congress
be requested to vote against appropriations
providing for the payment of the salaries OF
the Assessors and Collectors of Internal
Revenue, or the interest OF the bonded debt u
Then reputation is clearly plank of the
Democratic platform.
The majority of the Democratic papers
favor Chinese laborers. Another plank.
The Mobile Tribune answers the question
"what is Democrat 2" as follows: "
"If true Southern man has any political
status in national sense, he is Democrat
The only men at the North with whose views
he honestly comedies are those, who, during
the war, were called 'Copperheads,' and
who, since the conclusion of the war, have
protested and voted against all the enact
ments of a corrupt Congress. The true
Democrat believes that the reconstruction
laws ought to be overthrown at the point OF
the Federal bayonet, if necessary, and that
the negro should be deprived Of the right
of suffrage illegally conferred upon him.
When we abandon these principles we aban.
don the Democratic party, and with it the
forlorn hope of restoring the government as
it was" .....
Here then are two other planks, "Opposi,
tion to the Government" and Opposition
to Negro Suffrage"
The meeting recently held by the "Demo-
Gratis" of Chapel Hill virtually sustained the
Ku Klux in their murders and crimes-an.
other plank-Opposition to the reconstruc-
tion laws with force of arms.
Here then we have the essential principles
which any one who calls himself a Demo
crat" must support: h
Reputation; Chinese immigration; Op,
position to the Government; Opposition to
the Right of the colored man to vote
Opposition to the reconstruction laws by
force of arms, and at the cost of human life
if necessary to intimidate opponents.
Can any Christian, or any good citizen
or any respectable man endorse such a
platform2