The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-09-13
The Democratic Party.
From the Chicago Tribune.

The Democratic Party.
From the Chicago Tribune.
Last Wednesday twenty.eight negroes
in one of the wards of San Francisco
voted the Democratic ticket, and yet the
Democratic party, thus aided and ro
cruitGd by NEGRO suffrage" lost the
State Of California, lost the Governor
Legislature, members Of Congress and
failed to gain a Senator of the United
States. The capacity Of the party TO
win victory, even when opposed by a
halEdemoralized organization, as in
California, seems to BIO utterly wanting.
At the last moment the people turn from
ii with disgust, aud leave II groVelling In
defeat. The fact Is, the Democratic
party has never done anything to recover
the lost confidence of the public. It's
statesmen and leaders are both COwardly
and dishonest. Vallandigham forced the
party in Ohio to declare Its emancipation
from slavery; he forced the party TO disa.
yowall COmpliCltyin future attempts toup-
set the decisions Of the war, and no sooner
was he laid In his grave than the small
Try whom he had reduced to obedience
piped forth their old strains, and com.
menced bidding for the favor OF Steph.
ems and Wade Hampton, and jeff. Davis
in the next Democratic National Con.
yenton. In California, rs in Ohio, the
party generally abjured the new depar-
lure, GyOwing their purpose to practi.
Cally set aside reconstruction and the
constitutional amendments, end in Ohio
as in California, the people will again,
rs they have since 1850, reject the Demo.
cratic party, its candidates, its doctrines,
lis principles, leaders, and organization.
That there are silly men in the Repub.
lican ranks, and that the party has not
altogether escaped the corruption Incl.
dental to n long lease of power in the
General and State Governments, Is most
true; that there are men in the Republic
can party claiming to be statesmen, who
are ignorant and unsafe depositaries Of
political power, and even worse, as lead
Crs, is moi to be denied; that the popular
mind is strongly disposed to reform, to
effect changes OF policy on certain issues,
and to substitute men OF brains and ex.
periCnCe Tor the many harlequins who
have become objects oil disgust, is beyond
controversy; but still the people prefer
to endure anything rather than another
dose of what is called Democracy"
Never in the history Of the country was
there party having such opportunities
inrsuCCess, and yet so destitute Of ability
to win public confidence The people Of
the country are In favor Of general am.
nesty, and are opposed TO the species Of
legislation which seeks 10 establish mar.
tial law in time of peace but, so utterly
devoid Is the Democratic party OF public
confidence, that the class of men who
oppose amnesty and vote for martial law
can get elected TO Congress over the most
respectable Democrats The people posi-.
lively will not trust that party with the
reins of government Of n State. They
prefer 10 elect any blaCkguard who may
push county convention rather than n
man who continues to prattle Of n white
mans government and Of the infamous
amendments" ....
AT present the Democratic party Is m
obstacle to national progress and reform.
1t keeps from the Republican party Just
enough voters TO render the latter power
less TO cast of its knaves and its imbeCiles.
A large number Of Democrats agree
thoroughly with the Republicans upon
the great fundamental principles Of gov
eminent established by the war, but, hug.
ging the delusion that reform in the gov.
eminent must be the work of an adverse
party, they labor vainly in the Demo.
cratic organization. II these Democrats
would dissolve their own organization
and would give their votes to the Repub.
liCan party, they would find within The
latter organization the means, and the
only present means, Of delivering the
country from the evils with which II Is
oppressed, and which the Democratic
party, by It's general stupidity and want
ofpatriotism, perpetnates and strengthens.
Democrats who desire to be instrlimen.
tal In bringing about reforms must now
see the folly Of any longer expecting
any success for the Democratic party. Let
them, therefore, leave Pendieton, and
Hendricks, and Stephens, and Thurman,
and the Bourbons OF Kentucky, to quar-
rel over the manner in which slavery
was abolished and the Fifteenth Amend.
ment adopted, and joining The lIepubli.
can party in their several districts, elect
aCongresS that will take an intelligent
view Of national Affairs, and have the
ability to institute and execute the re.
forms absolutely demanded by the imper.
illed condition Of the country.
The Democratic party has been endeav.
oting to starye the country into submits.
sion; 1t has done everything II could 10
Keep the worst class o! Republican politi.
clans in power by setting up a still worse
class to oppose them; It has sought to rem.
der the tariff more oppressive by defeat.
ing every intelligent effort TO modify II; IL
has made the wretchcd financial schemes
Of certain Republicans comparatively pop
nlar by opposing them with rcpudiation;
II has, in fact, perpetuated every possible
evil 81 government by Offering alterna.
lives that were more wretched; and this
has been done under the ideal that nj
last the people would conclude that anv
change must be for the better. But ibe
people have shown a purpose TO cndnTs
anything in preference to a recall of lhc
Democratic party to power. How many
more defeats will I've needed to convince
them Of this tremendous fact?