The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-10-27
The Democracy Never on the Right
Side

S1OS. .
For the past twenty years it seemed
impossible for this Democratic organiza-
ton, as a party to get on the right side
of any issue, new or old. When border
rufiians drove the people of Kansas from
their polls and by fraudulent votes elect
ed a pro-slavery Legislature, and finally
sought to impose a hateful constitution
establishing slavery there on people
who almost unanimously denounced it,
the Democratic party clamploned this
wickedness. When the bred Scott de-
cision, intended to make slavery national
and all powerful, was proclaimed they
cordially endorsed it. All through the
war every measure co strengthen the
nations arm and weaken the enemy's,
whether confisication, or emancipation,
or colored soldiers, etc., was, IN their
opinion, all wrong or unconstitutional,
and Git only to be denounced.
When the war closed, and the question
came up whether the insurgent states
should be restored to the rule OF the very
men who had used their executive, legis-
lative and judicial powers to organize the
rebellion and to raise It's armies, or
whether every effort should be made to
the contrary. to organize them On a basis
loyal to the union the Democratic party
instinctively insisted on the former
When tax bills and draft laws become
necessary to the preservation of the ma
tional existence, they warred upon all
these details as wicked and tyrannical.
When the interest on the national debt
could only be honestly lessened by show
ing the world that our national credit
would be sacredly maintained at the
highest point by all parties, their speak
ers and presses denounced those who hat
lent Us the money as if they were swind-
| lers. and in every possible way sought tC
poison the public mind against them.
| When our greenbacks, whose ultimate
value they had formerly discredited, were
rising in value toward gold, they clamor
ed for issues of hundreds or thousands o
millions more, 10 verify their unfalflleC
prophecies about them. When Presi
dent Grant commenced paying off the
debt, with the surplus revenues that hi:
honest and efficient officers had collected
they denounced his buying bonds at then
current value in the market Of the world
When Republican Congress passed 9
| bill reducing taxation $4,000, 600 PEI
year they registered their votes, as ;
party, against it. When the same Con
gress passed a bill to honestlyreduce The
interests on our bonds, by mutual ar
rangement with our creditors or by pay
ing off OLD bondswith the proceeds of The
new they voted against it. When i
passed bill to enforce the XlFth ant
XVIII amendment, with penalties only
against evil doors and offenders, they re
| sisted it with vehement zeal. When /
passed laws for the restoration Of rebe
States to representation in the Union The
Democracy condemned their provisions
and fought them to the bitter end.
When law to guard the ballot box a
national elections was passed, punishin!
Illegal voting, shameless repeating ant
fraudulent counting, they denounced i
and its penalties as if the acts it punish
ed were not the wicke3est of crime
against free government and republican
institutions. And finally, when wa
broke out in Europe that outraged TIL
moral sentiments of the world, and with
out proyication, Germany was compelled
to arm for the projection Of the father
land from invasion and despoilment. thei
| leading organs, as instinctively as In tn
other cases [ have cited, took the wron.
side. 1t is this party-a party of reac
ton, of negation, of partisan opposition
whose leaders seem to be determine,
that it shall ever be on the side of wron
which appeals to the people to-day t
clothe them with national power.-Col
| far.