The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-12-19
TIE COALITION.
A Radical Trick nud y Democratic Bfu
der. A sharp Game.

Asa Democrat, having the interest oI
the party to which | belong at heart,
propose, though unaccustomed to writ
ing for the press, to submit few
thoughts on the subject of the coalition
which has been proposed by enc or two
Of the aspiring Radicals Of the county.
have no knowledge Of this matter, out.
side Of common and public talk; but
frrm what | have been able to gather
from this source, presume ! am safe
in stating that proposition has come
from some of the Radicals. authorized
to speak for their party, to the efiecI
that the two partie, shall assemble il
mass convention and determine what pei
cent. of the county offices to be filled
next year, each party is entitled to; that
after this determination is made, the
Democrats shall select persons to become
candidates for those Offices, which it j.
conceded they shall have, and the Radi
Gals shall pursue the like course, and at
the August election each party shall
unite in voting for these various persons.
The idea oe these Radical gentlemen is
that they have little over a third of the
qualified voters of the county, and are
therefore entitled to n little over third
of the offices, naming three Of the eight
as the measure of their rights. | am
very glad to know that the proposition
meets with the smallest favor in the
Democratic ranks, and am surprised
that il should meet with even that much.
1t is certainly very shrewd game on
the part of the Radicals, and it is not
matter of any establishment that they
should be willing to engage in it. But
how any Democrat who has any regard
for his principles, his party ties, or his
party's interest should even consider such
q proposition is beyond all reasonable So
luton! We have the majority in this
c,unty and why not avail ourselves Of
it? What is the sense in struggling for
ascendency and victory, if we turn around
and give back to the enemy the fruits of
the victory? Why give to our party OPP
ponents the very things which we say
their political opinions render them unfit
to have? If we are guilty of this folly,
where is the line of distinction between
the two parties? If we vote for Radicals
for office, when we can vote for and elect
Democrats to the same position, is there
any practical difference, so far as we are
concerned, between Democracy and Rad
icalism? Suppose the Democrats should
yield to this sort of a proposition in ev-
cry county and State where they have a
majority, how long would it be before
Radicalism would prevail throughout
the whole country as strongly as it does
in Maine or Massachusetts? How long
would it be before we would have negro
judges, clerks, sheriffs and assessors in
every county in the State! Garry the
programme of the Radicals cut and see
how far it reaches. They claim that
since they have over third of the votes
in the county, they ought to have over
third of the Offices. Nov the negro ele-
ment as every one knows, constitutes at
least nine-tenths of their strength in this
county, ard the same reasoning would |
require of them to give this per cent. of
their quota to negroes; and if the De
mocracy 60 into the agreement, how can
they prevent this if the Radicals desire
it? For by the terms Of the agreement
the radicals have the privilege of selecting
their own men and We Democrats are
bound to vote for them. Furthermore,
if this practice ought to prevail in Lin
coin county, il is right that it should be
taken up in every county, and, indeed
the State at large in State
elections. There is just as much Of pol
itics in a county office US there is in a
State office, and no distinction can be
made on the ground that one is more
than the other. Accord
ing to this assumption then, we ought to
give to the Radicals their full quota of
State Offices, graciously accord to them a
full share of State Senators, Representa-
lives. Circuit Judges, Appellate Judges,
md Commonwealth Attorneys. In
'hort to be consistent, wherever we have
! majority we ought to ignore all party
differences, yield all the benefit Of that
numerical majority, and, without dis
iinctioa Of color, take negroes and all
INTO our confidence and support
But who supposes, that after the De
nocracy has shown such a generous
land, the Radicals would he either gen
,rous or foolish enough to give
he Democracy such showing
where they had the majority?
Have they ever inaugurated such prac-
ice in the districts, counties and States
shere they are in the ascendency? Lin
,oln county is Democratic Has she
;er had a Democratic postmaster, a
Democratic United States Collector, or a
United States Assessor! l.
here Democrat among the United
States District Judges, United States
Messengers, Clerks, AtIor-
leys, Supervisors, Registrars, Cabinet
)aisers, Territorial Governors, Judges,
Foreign Ministers, Consuls, or in short
,p,oo., The million of United States Of