Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-09-25
Independent in all things


number OF indirect taxes, and to levy
such as are necessary for revenue, having
due regard to the principle that the
wealth Of nation consisting in its pro-
ductive industry, whatever favors the
greatest amount Of this in the masses is
to be favored, and whatever fosters spe-
cial 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 rich
for the benefit of the poor, or the poor
for the benefit Of the rich, and views
with equal adherence tho partisan Of
unjust claims and the advocate Of the
reputation Of just ones. But knowing
that legal provision for the security Of
private property generally suffiees for
the protection Of the rich, Democracy,
without violating individual rights, will
always aim to educate aud elevate the
masses of the people.
s. Offices should be created only when
clearly demanded by necessary public
business, and such salaries be paid as the
nature and Importance of the business
requires, leaving no just grounds of CON-
plant or excuse for peculation.
A policy that leads to or requires the
multiplication OF offices is anti.demo-
cratic, unjust, and dangerous to freedom;
policy which changes men in office for
individual profit instead of public good,
is peTversion of the principles of busi-
ness, anti-democratic, corrupting, and
perilous to the liberties of the people.
Official power is trust for the COM
mon good, which no public officer has a
right to use for his private benefit, and
whoever does so is a 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.
Whoever obtains votes under false
pretenses is baser knave than he who
obtains goods under false pretenses; and,
on account of the greater difficulty of
detecting and measuring the evil done,
deserves severer punishment and repro
baton.
Regarding all officers as servants of
the people, and trustees of power for the
common veal, Democracy favors such
modes of appointments and tenures of
Office as reason and experience show best
calculated to secure good conduct and
efficiency in the public service, without
regard to private interests, public Gus.
toms, or individual pretensions.
Reason and experience alike condemn
frequent and needless changes of public
officers, and the generally prevailing
practice Of making them for private ben.
eft instead Of the public good, is acting
in great matters of the State and Nation
on a principle which would ruin any
private business, and, unless corrected,
will bring the administrator of free gov
ernment into deserved contempt. 1t is
essentially opposed to the principles OF
democratic government, and it behooves
the Democracy of the United States to
make war on the practice without truce
or delay, returning to the Jeffeisonian
standard of official qualification, sis he
honest, capable and faithful?"
6. The immense increase of National
Executive patronage, placing upward Of
one hundred thousand offices, besides nu
merous minor positions of emolument, al
his disposal, and the habit of changing
the incumbents to secure or reward Elk
ecutive partisanship, have become dan
gerous to the liberties OF the country
and demand prompt and efficaciou'
remedy.
The remedy, at least in part and nu
merous important national advantages
may be found by providing that no Presi
dent shall be eligible for more than one
term, without joint resolution Of Con
gress, passed by a two-thirds vote il
each House, previous to the election, de
claring the same; and a further provi
sion, that the Presidential terms shall b.
extended TO six years.
Z. The Democratic doctrine of suffrag,
requires distinct reaffirination.
Democracy has always held that SUI
frage is not natural right of every hu
man being, nor of particular sex o
race, but political privilege, and whit
should exercise it question to be de
cided by what will produce ''the creates
good to the greatest NUMBER" and, there
fore, as far as possible, to be determined
locally where lays tho great body of tn
rights OF the people.
But in these local discussions the dem
ocratic idea favors broad rather than
narrow basis of suffrage. 1t is not un
mindful or regardless of the rights Q
women, of minors, of property, and Q
interior races; but, seeing other effectiv
or advantageous ways in which thes
can have their influence on all Legislation
affecting their interests, at present it pre-
fers giving the right of voting to man
hood and qualifications which tend t
create bonds OF political brotherhood be
tween the rich and the poor, based upoI
mutual interests, and to avert conflict
between capital and labor.
The caucus system, invented by tn
Democracy as practical way of finding
out who is a proper person to be vote
for where a constituency is too large t
know each other personally, and, in spit
OF its glaring impsrfections and corruI
tions, now adopted by all parties, shoul
be improved by the Democracy, an
carefully regulated by wise provisions @
law.
These views believe to be explicit.
or inexplicitly held by three-fourths o
our voting population, and only reqnir
| distinct Democratic enunciation to elici
, substantial response from the peoplt