Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-06-21
The New Attitude of the Democracy.

s The New Attitude of the Democracy
0 We have already called attention TO tn
e - new departure, as it is called-of tn
C Democracy, and the public is interested t.
D know what progress it is making. At The
J iowa Democratic State Convention las
week, the new platform was adopted by q
very large majority. As the Democrats o
: that State succeeded in putting their pro
, gressive views into narrow compass, We
, can give them entire. Here are their princi-
pal resolutions
ResOlred, That we recognize our binding
obligation To the Constitution Of the United
States as it now exists, without reference TO
the means by which the same became the
supreme law Of the land.
ResolUed, That we will faithfully support
the Constitution Of the United States as il
now exists, and that we demand for it a
strict construction, 50 as TO protect equally
the rights Of States and individuals
ReS0tUed, That we cherish the American
system OF State and local governments, and
that we will forever defend the same against
centralized Federal power
Reso,red, That Universal Suffrage having
been established, should now be coupled
with it's twin measure, Universal Amnesty.
/ Res0ired, That deuOunce all riotOus
combinations and conspiracies against the
law, and demand that the same be suppress
ed by the pispcr authorit "a, and that the
/ Federal power ought not u intervene unless
such Intervention is demanded by the State
authorities.
This is essentially the same platform as
that constructed by ValIandigham in Ohio
and it is significant that it has thus far been
adopted by every Democratic convention Of
any consequence since assembled. 1t now
seems probable that this, or something like
it, is to be the platform Of the Democratic
party in the next presidential canvass. The
elections t. come off next fall will show
now much strength the party is likely u
Get from its new departure.
But while :he party 10 Iowa as well
Ohio puts a dercnt face, in part on Democ-
racy, and while they properly enough con
denim the San Domingo speculation, they
still show enough Of the old Democratic
notions to lead the people to beware Of them.
An example Of this is fonnd in this lmc
Iowa platform. It denounces a tariff as
hostile to the agricultural interest, when no
body knows better than the farmers east and
west that a tariff in the end benefits them
more than any other class in community 1t
denounces the payment of United States
bonds in gold, which Is only another wy of
advocating PendIeton's outrageous opinion
that the national debt oGght to be paid BY
an unlimited issue Of greenbacks. Il con
dcmus the system Of national banking,
which has given the country a better cur
rency than it ever before had and it con-
cludes as follows
Resolred, That VIC are in favor Of strict
economy OF large reduction in the expen-
dItures Of the Federal and State Govern
mcnts OF the civil service reform Of the
collection Of the Internal Revenue by the
state authorities: the return u honest Ia
Dor Of the myriads Of tax gacherers who aiilic
our land and eat up its substance; and the
speedy trial, conviction, and punIshmentof
the thieves who have stolen the taxes paid
by the people
We insert this resolution mainly to show
how cheap words are when used by politi-
clans. Democrats, as everybody knows who
ever had any experience Of Democratic
administration, are no more in favor Of
cheap government than Republicans. New
York city is notable example Of cheap
Democratic government,-a city which has a
debt incurred by Democratic ADM Illustrations
If over eighty millions of dollars. Demo-
Gratis never object to = spoils" provided they
get them and in New York they will
sometimes give a handsome sum, as they did
20 Winan in Albany last winter, % help
them through with their schemes Of plumber.
Nor are Democrats in favor Of any vaIua-
bic civil service reform. The only reform
Of that sort which they would inaugurate il
they should come into power, would be to
make clean sweep Of the offices Now
they pretend to believe that merit alone
should be the test, but if it were in their
power they would acknowledge no test but
Partisan fidelity. Democratic administra-
ton first pat in practice the principle that
9 to the yictors belong the spoils,' and the
children and grand chlldrea of that genera
ton Of politicians are fully up T. the teach
ngs Of thcir political ancestors Their de-
claration in favor Of civil service reform is
all buncombe.
The Democratic proposition that internal
taxes should be collected by State authorities
is amusingly absurd. 1t means simply that
they should not be collected at all The
federal government has no power t. cy.npo l
State authorities to collect national taxes
How much would the taxes be worth that
would just now be collected for the United
States by Tennessee, Virginia. Delaware,
North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, or
even New York ami New Hampshire?
On the whole the Democrats are likely to
make a platform, with 80 much bad mixed
with the good they can't help taking, as to
condemn the entire work And il their
platform should not BE- poor enough to thor
oughly discredit them, there is still their
past record Of unblushing opposition to the
prosecution or the war for the integrity OF
the government, 10 be remembered against
them. For that there is and should be no
universal amnesty. The rebel who went
with his State into treason may be pardon
cd, but why pardon and forgive and trust
the men who, while enjoying the protection
Of the government, gave aid and comfort to
traitors
The Case of Bowen.
~oI