The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-12-09
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.


sippi furnishes another instance of the
perfdy of the Republican party. Ever
since that party came into existence, it
has been the selfappointed champion of
free thought aud action. From the
time of its birth until its ascension
to the control of the government in
1860, free press, free speech, and free
ballot was the rallying-cry which aroused
the enthusiasm of the masses of the
party. who received their inspiration
from the sweet lullaby of "John
Browns soul goes marching on" A
party founded on the "great moral
idea" of freedom, and whose onward
march has been accompanied BY the
loudest professions of love of freedom
and justice, would naturally be expected
to fulfill at least a part of their prom
ises. if they were in earnest. But their
earnestncss was applicable only to their
desire to get control of the government
When that object was attained, their
professed love of liberty was found to
consist in allowing the elective fran
elise to be debased to the lowest pur-
poses to secure triumph in doubtful
districts During the war, and since its
close. the more respectable Republicans
made no attempt to defend the manner
in which elections in the southern states
were conducted by government officers.
The military frauds and outragss were
so palpable that none but the most reck-
less would deny them. But nearly all
were ready to excuse them on the plea
that the end justified the means. 1t is
a true statement, that not one fair and
honorable election has been held in the
south under the control of the Repub-
lican administrations; and it is a true
prophecy that, no matter how long the
party may hold the military power in
the southern states, there never will be
fair and honorable election held there.
Some charitably disposed persons
laid the fatteriDg JUNCTION to their souls
that the government" would permit
1
the election to be conducted fairly in Mis-
sissippi, even if they did not assist in
securing to every voter the right to vote
peace, without fear ofpersonal violence.
The course which the people of Virginia
and Tennessee had recently taken,
when left comparatively free to vote as
they chose, it was thought would have a
| salutary effect on the administration,
and induce it to let them alone, if moth
ing more. But all such speculations
vanished into thin air when the regula-
tions for holding tho Mississippi election
became known. If the administration
permitted the holding of fair election
in one instance. it would be setting bad
example, precedent which the peo-
pie would expect to have followed in
the future, and which would give in
finite trouble to the truly loyal gentle
men whose duty it is to organize victory
for freedom. Not even the political
welfare of brother-in-law, a parsonage
heretofore all-powerful, could induce
the administration to change the rule
which has been heretofore followed in
all the southern elections
The tyranny of this party of freedom
is without a parallel in this country
Not content with depriving law-abiding
citizens Of their liberties, they enslavt
whole communities and states, and al
in the name of freedom. And it il
this party which in the coming campaigr
will ask the people of the north, anc
compel the people of such states a.
Mississippi, to endorse them and al
the outrages on the rights and privileges
of whole communities, of which they
have been guilty. 1t is this party
which, according to the statement Of
one of its leaders, steals more from the
people every year than was required tc
run the whole government under Demo
cratic administration, that will be soor
asking the vote of the people to keeI
them where they can continue theil
r plundering without interruption. The
votes of the people will be asked te
continue in power the party which has
, made'a tariff law for the protection of rich
t manufacturers, and the oppression
of consumers, while the revenue arising
t thercfrom is less than it would be if il
were formed solely for revenue purposes
1t ia this party which was born annie
loud huzzas for freedom,-wbich cam,
. into power with the strongest pledges o
retrenchment and reform in all depart
ments of the government, which prom
! ised to aid industry and all Legitimate
commercial enterprise;-but instead o
doing all this, they have trampled upor
the inalienable rights of American citi
zens,-have been guilty of the most i'm
: moral and indecent debaucheries in tn
national capital and elsewhere,-ant