The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-10-09
The Statesman on Honesty.

The Statesman on Honesty.
There was no need that the Ottawa Sates
man should drivel through three mortal COL
umns to manifest it's hostility to the Demo
cratic party, or its determination to influence
the Labor Union party of the county 80 to
cast their vote at the coming election as to &C.
cure the success of the Republican county
ticket. The editor of the Statesman never
was Democrat, and never could compre-
bend, much less appreciate, democratic prin-
ciples. Bred an aboltionist, in the political
excitement from 1856 to 1866 he was noted as
radical of the most fanatical class, until his
brain became muddled over Mr. Campbell's
financial theories, since which his mighty in
tellect has been absorbed in revolving the
great financial problem, which he is a. cspa-
bic of mastering as horse is of mastering the
Copernican system. The simple declaration,
near the beginning of his three 'Aatulent col
umns, that the only difference between the
democrats and republicans is that the latter
are the more honest, and he would rather,
therefore, an "honest republican should be
elected than democrat, was quite sufficient
to indicate his aninus to dot
But are the rest of the members Of the La.
Dor Union party of this county of the same
minds Do they believe, as the editor of the
Statesman would have them, that the princi-
pies of the democratic and of the republican
party, so far as they effect the laboring men,
are exactly the same, and the only difference
between the two parties is that the republi-
cans are the more honest 2" The editor, to
make out this point, places side and side two
blank columns, which he, much less facetious-
~ than mendaciously, styles the platforms of
the two parties. Are the laboring men fsols
to be thus imposed upon9 Does it follow
that because neither the recent republican or
democratic county convention pompously
proceeded to adopt long -winded, high
sounding platform, that those parties there
fore have no platformsl The platforms of
the two great parties of the day are not man.
ufactured by little caucus Of precinct poll
ticians. The great Labor Union party of the
United States, or of the Universe, may posi-
bly, recognize as an authoritive declaration of
its principles the platform adopted by the
little caucus recently held in Ottawa, but an
authoritive enumeration Of the principles of
the democratic party is generally made by
somewhat more imposing, though possibly
not less self-important body. If the editor OF
the Statesman, or any member of the Labor
Union party, will have the righteousness to
look up the principles Of the Democratic and
Republican parties as thus authoritiyely laid
down, we apprehend they will discover,con
siderable difference between them as affecting
the interests of the laboring. men. A cardinal
principle or aim of the Labor Union Party is,
that the T. S. SEQ bonds shall be redeemed
in greenbacks and that the national bank cir
culation shall be withdrawn, and in lieu Of il
greenbacks enough issued, not only materially
to reduce the national debt, but to relieve the
business wants of the country by an increased
circulation. The Democratic National Con-
vention at New York in 1868 embodied OK.
actly this idea in their platform ; the recent
New York state convention endorsed the
same thing, and every Western democratic
state convention, from 1867 to this day, has
endorsed the same doctrine, under the com.
mon name of PendetOnism" On the other
hand, every republican convention has either
lodged the Issue, or fatty resolved against it.
ana the republican congress, by the adoption
OF Schenck's gold bill, attempted to kill the
Pendleton idea y
On the subject of the movements Of tbe In.
boring men generally for the ameliosatfon of
their condition, the republican party inyaria-
bly,, in all its conventions, takes sides with
the bond and tariff lords, while the demo.
cratic party as invariably, as in the recent
New York Democratic Convention, arraigns
the republican party for failing to protect
the masses and giving countenance ard sun.
port to class interests, turning its back upon
the labcring masses and becoming the patrons
OF accumulated wealth." and in the recent
Pennsylvania Democratic state convention.
where the party resolved "that the move.
ments now being made for the amelioration
of the condition of the laborlng man have our
most cordial cooperation"
We could 90 on multiplying indefinitely
these evidences not only of close similarity
between but an absolute identity in the prin.
ciples Of the Labor Union and the Democratic
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