Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-01-17
TIE PASSIVE POLICY.
ADDRESS OF THE STATE DEMO
... CRATIC EXECUTIVE CON-
MITTEE..
THE POSTUM NOT DEAF BUT
SLEEPETH-HE MOVES AND
OPENS EIIS EYES.
DIR POSITION IN rRELATIOS
TO THE ANIMAL FULLY
DEFINED.

the address lately issued by thu Cen
trail Committee Of the State. The
duty of remaining passive in the ap-
preaching campaign ia urged nIon
the Democracy of the State in well
chosen words. As a respectable piece
"f composition. there is no objection
TO IL. But the address contains moth
Ing but what las been repeated "timc
and again" by the advocates of that
policy. II is only an elaboration OF
.he two 'catch phrases,' the Missou-
ri Policy Of 20. and anybody or the
Devil rather than Grant. The first
half of the address purports to give
d full history Of the circumstances
that led to the. adoption of the Mis-
souri, policy in 1870. II sets forth in
glowing colors its advantages, and
triumphs. but:does not tell III that
there was 4 bargain made. aud posi-
tive assurances and pledges given b!
the disafected Republicans, before the
CJaiitioN Was cllcCtet.
The Democracy withdrew from all
active participation in the campaign,
not OH a bare contingency, but be-
cause they &ncr what would be the re-
suit, from pledges given by leading Re-
publicans. Their Withdrawal, nnd-the
disruption of the Radical party by a
boltin Jefferson City convention were
bat counterparts of u programme
agreed upon, and mutually under
stood before hand. The cOnsidcra-
lion on the one hand WAS the election
Of, prominent disaflectcd leaders to
important State offices; oil the other,
the adding of ) 5000 or 100, 900 disfran-
chiscI voters to the Democratic ranks.
The condition of affairs in our State
e. that time, the gloomy and hopeless
prospect Of Democratic success, owing
10 the legal disabilities and the rigid
enforcement of the iniquitous registry
law, afforded sufficient ground for the
adoption of the policy pursued. 1t
succeeded, and upon the ground of its
success we are urged to make il our
programme for 1872. But the COM
mitte0 hare failed to set forth any
facts or arguments to prove 4 SINH
larity i'll the two campaigns. Certainly
nom OF the considerations mentioned
above, aud that shaped the action of
the Democratic partr iH this State in
'N,will eater Into the coksing Nation
al contest. No pledges have been
given. ne positive promises made and
there is only the bare.t possibility that
the move wi. receive the support Of
any considerable body ofRcpublicans,
The Democratic party is called upon
10 abandon its organization on, tho
b1rest contingency with the hope
that something viii turn up III its ia
vor. If ANYTHING could be gained b!
a move of this Kind, if there was
fair chance of its succcss, then W.
confess that it would SAVIOR soncthin:
Of wisdom. But the chances arc tina
its adoption VIII not bring victory
If Liberal Republicanfs nominated
the Democrats will not rally to hi.
support with any degree Of eattu
siasm. In u opinion ten Demo
cratic votes will be lost where orc Re
publican vote is gained. Democrat!
may make distinction between Gran
and Trumbull, but it will be hard fol
many of them TO Discriminate between
Radicalism, as illustrated by the Oh,
or the other. Nearly ali the acts o
Grants AdniaistrselSH have bee,
prompted and supported by Grcelv
Trumbull, and the very men, who nou
by pretended liberalism, are bid
ding for Democratic support Tn.
election of any such man to the Presi
dency would only carry another set o.
greedy cormorants to Washington
and fasten Radicalism with all its obi
Gus aud Objectionable features upol
the country. for years to como.
The other half of the address draw
dark picture Of the %proscriptiv'
policy and corruptions of the prescn
administration. This is well know,
to the people. The Press Of tn
country have drawn pictures cquall.
as dark. The corruption of the Radi
cal party is general. 1t is not confined
alone to Washington. Grant has no
been At the head Of all the admins
trasi8ns: Yet nearly every city
county and State government, under
the:.control ofthis party. has been per
vaded By fraud, dishonesty and pee
uist;on. Wharf.-The country needs /.
not oEly pnrifcation at Washington
but complete redemption from tn,
blighting power and misrule Of the
Radical party everywhere. Will this
end be gained, will the condition OF
affairs lie permanently changed for til.
better, by h election of man les,
"dious than Grant, but still einbodv,
ing in his political views, all the car
dinal principles and fatal tcndcncic,
OF the lsSdicai party.
The election sfsuch n man as Gran,
Is a matter to he a~epiored, but VIC dc
no regard 1t as tba""suprcmc evil
The helpless aud hopeless condition,
TO which the Democracy might be
by cowsrdlr action, OF
concessions to defeat him, would be
an evil Of far greater magnitude.
The adoption Of any policy which,
would result in the decentralization
end fnsl overthrow Of the oulv OAR. =
friendly to the reserved rights Of The
rta'es,snd to the enlarged libertie. of
the people, would he a calamity from
which the country would never re.
cover.
For these reasons, and because we
believed the Passive Policy had it,
origin In the brains Of disappointed
Republican leaders and men, who
ihongl' claiming TO DO Democrats,
were eve in full sympathy with the
party, we have OPPOSED 1t from Its In.
csption. There 70 nothing IN the ad-
dress 10 unsetils our convictions, and
IS adoption by fsiissouri.does not
Inske Il Hocessary for US TO yield our
OUfnfons. . Had tho committee recon.