Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-10-15
!. "A Few Words to Democrats.


1t is human nature TO revere the
past. To billing TO q party which
has numbered among its ranks me-
who, in the legislative ball, 10 th'
executive chamber, on the bench
have so discharged their trusts tina
their names have become historic
has ever been favoriLe boast. No
party in this century has beer
prouder of its record than the Dem j.
cratic party, and to be an cold lin.
Democrat" considered glory enough
by many who base their political
creed on the principles of Jefferson
| aud Jackson And this is right, 80
Tar as the principles of those noble
] are the living issues of to-day. Blu
| we cannot live wholly IN the past.
We must be alive to the questions OF
our own time, and the question for
the Democrats of this district is ::
Where wouli an enlightened patrio'-
| ism ,ad them to throw their intiu-
ence? For we have no separate
party organization no nominee on
whose head waves the plume OF
Democratic leadership; q. +
Thompson is no Democrat and has
no record or abilities emitting him
TO our support. But We have, on
one side, the so-called Reform" par
ty; queer conglomeration of aspir-
ants, communists, demagogues, and
honest ids0lsts; who see IN each
new party the perfect one of which
they have dreamed. To believe
that from such elements great ma
tional party can be evolved, capable
OF rising to the height demanded IT
u, requires credulity which few plain
practical Democrats like my self pos
sess. On the other hand, we have
the Republican party, long ago
found TO be "a foeman worthy OF our
steel" Let US look the facts square
IL in the face like men. The Re-
publican party is the only one which,
now, has q national organization,
and when we remember those old
Democratic heroes, Douglas, Dicken-
son, DIX and others, who, with the
1 pALTlOJlC Tduh huu AAo VI Jul party
shared its tolls and helped it TO save
he nations life, we can but honor il
for its noble deeds 10 the past. ln
1860 its bitter opponents called it the
oarty of "Mudsills." "the skums OF
society" and now call it "the aristo
Gratis party" We viii honestly &C
knowledge our conviction that here,
~ elsewhere, "truth lies in the gold
sn mean" and that it is party
without respect TO class, one for the
whole people. The resolutions pass
| I'd by the late Republican convention
1T Mineral Point, declared in favo;
If honesty and economy 10 the use
# public funds, an early return to
specie pay ment, the speedy convic
ion and punishment of betrayers Of
,nblic trust, the Improvement OF the
WISCONSIN and Fox rivers, and made
he noble declaration that ''the Re
publican party as in favor Of every
ZEAL and LASTING reform " The Re
| publicans seem, to me, such as any
patriot Democrat can endorse. The
Republicans have put in nomination
tor Congress native of the district
one whose boyhood was spent il
urning up the turtle soil of old La
Favette county; whose lifelong
.ympathies and associations are with
he people of this district whose
hopes are for their true and lasting
progress who 10 pledged if el .cted
20 do ali in his pow.r to worthlly
| represent the district of which he ii
nominee, and to further, by al
honorable means be can command
he improvement of the Fox and
Wisconsin rivers. Those who know
Mr.. Magoon, know that his pledges
will be kept, and that no more Ell
cient representative could be sem
from this district. Granted that the
Republican party has made mistak es
that few dishonest men have had
high positions in it; it Is only blu.
man organization and we can soon
dud instances Of betrayal of trust 10
Iur own party, great and national
| - it was, if we turn to its history
Yet, can we not see that continuing
treatment, even moderately good
while the nation 10 convRlescing from
he terrible wounds of war, is tar
better than taking up some quack
medicine, which, like the Reform
party. promises to cure everything
Douglas said in one of his last letters,
penned by a hand already chilling in
ieath, "We should never forget that
man cannot be true Democrat
unless be is q loyal patriot" AS
patriots then. let us join our country
men of the Republican party in eff
Getting the reforms which sll good
men desire Let us with them op-
| pore every attack on the liberties OF
he people; whether by instruction,
1r the not l,ss dangerous encroach-
ments of monopolies against the
.ssassins of hell 'ss men, women,
and chliren, and let the south, as
we'll as monopoIists, see that not in
murder. or in unjust exactions can
they hope for our sympathy or help,
out in obedience to ldW, which sl)ne
is true freedom. Let US, as that
noble Democrat, Daniel s. Dicken-
.on. said, "step from the platform of
,ur party to the broad domain +
'ur country" and join the Republi-
cans in this district. Let every
American, whether in wilderness, 10
city. or in mountain, feel that the
.trono arm of the nation Will protect