The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-07-19

legion, lot me say that the Democratic
party Is infinitely preferable In my Judge.
ment, even with Horace Greeley as It's
candidate, to that portion Of the Repub.
lican party, which acknowledges the
leadership Of Grant and the protligate
managers by which he Is led on to his
own and bis country's ruin. No thought
Of recreancy or infdelity to the Demo.
cratic party ever entered my mind. As !
cannot control It's councils shall submit
to them, hoping that time may show It's
ways to be wiser and more beneficial to
the country than l predicted. He who
cannot have his own way in this world
Is not, therefore, in my opinion justified In
doing nothing, be can without incon.
sistency cODcede that others may be more
enlightened than himself on the points at
issue and give their plans tair trial. five
turn, however, for brief survey Of the
broad field Of national politics, many
strange and significant aspects are pre-.
sented to our view. We constantly hear
OF the unwonted position OF the Demo.
cratic party, its action and Its attitude.
We admit 10 be unusual, but think II
we examine We will find other occur.
ances in the political world quite as novel
and striking as anything in the conduct
Of tho Democracy. Is the condition OF
the Republican organization so natural
and healthy that 1t can afford to sneer at
the supposed sickness and death
OF its powerful neighborS At the
close OF the war it succeeded to ILL.
mitable power and possessions. Its
means by which 10 seduCe the venal over.
awe the timid and coerce all others
into its support were absolutely bound.
less in eleven States and nearly SC, every.
where else. If this powerful party had
been pureand unselfsh in its devotion to
the welfare Of the country; lift had been
managed with an eye single to the pros.
perity OF the laboring people; If 1t had
lostered the industrial classes, instead OF
the monopolies; il it had conclliated the
conquered, instead Of bruislng them
every day airesh with additional stripes;
II it had sought to invigorate and enrich
an impoverished section Of the greatest
natural wealth, instead Of scourging it in.
10 still more horrible barrenness and mis-
cry; if ithad lived on love and patriotism,
instead Of hate and greed, it would have
had before 1t longer lease Of power at
the hands Of the American people than
was ever granted to political party in
the history Of the world. But bloated
with much power and countless wealth,
its career has been full Of wicked
ness, gradually but surely forgetting the
confidence OF the people, and driving the
best clements out Of It's organization. This
fact is strikingly illustrated by the history
Of the political contests in Indiana. In
1864, when the waves Of radical misrule
reached their highest point in this State,
a majority Of 21,000 was recorded against
the Democratic party. Two years later,
in 1866, VIC again met the same enemy
and reduced his majority to $4,000. In
1868 we fought again under the same
colors and wiped out the entire majority
against US, the Radicals only saving the
State offices by fraudulent returns oil a
few hundred majority. Thus stood the
contest in Indiana when the 18th amend.
ment, never legally ratified, fraud in my
individual judgement, on the American
people, gave an increase OF 10000 negro
voters 10 the radicals. Yet in 1870
we defeated this coalition OF blacks and
whites and placed about three thou.
sand Of majority on the side of the
then gallant and unialtering democracy
of the Slate. Certainly this is not rec
ord to beget Encouragement. 1t shows
a steady decay Of the Republican party in
Indiana; il shows loss on its part in
eight years OF at least $4,000 votes; 1t
shows further that il the democracy does
as usual on its own account this year, we
will carry the State by 10000 majority,
and il the Liberal Republican party can
even moderately well fulfill its expecta.
tions, the vote of the State will be cast
against the administration party both in
October and November, by larger major.
ities than have ever heretofore been
been known in her history. There is an
other branch, however, OF the Democratic
policy OF the present administration,
which has, perhaps, more strongly in-
duced the present political movement
against 1t than any other, for it com.
prises within itself the wrongs and
villainies of all Others. The condition
of the South has at last aroused universal
attention and almost universal indigna.
tion. That unhappy section is at last re-
cognized as a portion Of our common
country, and as such is entitled to an
equality before the law with all other sec.
tiUns. Gen. Grant was elected to the
Presidency eXclaiming, "Let us have
poace," but the cry has been cheat and
a delusion. There has been no peace for
the helpless people OF the South. They
have longed for it and prayed Tor it, but
it has not come. A worse form Of war
than marching columns has preyed upon
them. 1t has been q war Of robbers,
spies and jailOrs. l say, without fear Of
intelligent contradiction, that in all that
goes to destroy the prosperity OF coun-
try and crush the welfare Of its people,
the administration of public affairs in the
South for tho last three years has
been the worst, the most truly in
fernal ever known in the history
of o civilized people. 1t is subject on
which have bestowed IN earnest atten.
ton, and with which have made myself
familiar. During the last session OF Con.
gress demonstrated from official proofs
that system of plumber had been pur.
sued under the protection and approval
OF the present Administration, by which
the entire eleven reconstructed States of
the South had been impoverished and a
majority Of them made bankrupt. Debts
and liabilities, amounting in the aggregate
to at least five hundred millions of dol.
lars, have been fastened by official thieves
on the tax payers Of that bllghted region.
For the purpose Of aiding in this whole.
sale robbery by reducing the Southern
people to silence and submission while it
was going on. it has been falsely assumed
that they were in lawless frame ol
mind, and must be placed under laws as
despotc and infamous as an Austrian
cdiCt against Hungary in 1910, or a
British act OF Parliament against Ire