Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-05-28

plant is a torment and vegetable curse So
the borrower had better make his bed of Can
ada thistles than to attempt to live and pros
per by paying their extortionate rates of
usury.
Had we the time to analyze all the objections
which lie against the present system, it would
be easy to prove that. by the very operation
OF the law which lies at the bottom of the
system, 1t does induce at seasons undue flow
of money to New York and to the great GEN.
tiers. That these accommodations do encour-
age speculations. and speculations create
panics. 1t would be easy to show that its very
rigidity of volume, it's non-elasticity, its in
su1icieracy, make ii the subject of control by
hedry capitalists. and thereby places at the
mercy of Val street the profits on the legitimate
industries Of the country. That it presents
competition and thereby insures high rate of
interest, which is death to the debtor and to
the producing classes. That it brings, of
necessity. the Federal Treasury into COMPETE
ton with Wall street in the sale of gold, and
thus makes it not only a Spectator III ITS oton
promises, but an absorber of the currency, al
ready insufficient for the people. 1t changes
in word, the Government into a gigantic
banking establishment which, in violation
of every principle of equity, and unmlndful of
it's effects upon the morals of the people. de-
mands payment in one currency, while it
makes payment in another. 1t thus sets an
example whose pernicious influence is fast de-
bauching the people and changing the nation
into nation of spectators and gamblers.
For brief moment let us discuss the histo-
~ of the late political parties. Political par
ties are organized and brought into existence
to represent great ideas. So long as they
represent those ideas truly. so long they
live. When they represent them imperfectly
desolation commences; and when they cease
to represent them, they cease to live. The
oldest of the two parties-the Democratic
was originally organized by that pure man.
great statesman, lover and defender of liber-
ty-THoMls JEFFERSON. Like its founder, it
WAS also pure, based upon the bedrock of
human rights. and in the language of the late
lamented Douglas, Government by the
people, of the people and for the people"
pledged to strict construction of the Consti-
tuition whenever that construction arose as
against the Government aud in favor of the
people. In time it ceased to represent the
great principles of its birth it's old leaders
passed away, new ones took their places and
with them came new principles, and new fol-
scheming and unprincipled men, and that mob,
which, without an atom of honest democracy
in its purposes, dubbed itself the Democratic
party. 1t was instituted to perpetuate the
foundations of the slavery barbarism through
the assertion of false and untenable theory
of State rights from which the higher
rights of the individual are excluded. From
speedily became a kind of oligarchy
government. supplemented on the frame
work of popular representative government.
Practicing persistently on the bandit.i maxim
of William L. Marcy, "that the spoils belong
to the victors," to get and divide the spoils
among the political bandit-chiefs very soon
became the solo object and mission of its ex-
istence. 1t was the slavery principle, accord
ing to which shareholders waxed fat on the
earnings of their human chattels, carried into
the practice of political party whose leaders
and managers asserted claim OF right to ag-
grandize themselves upon the spoils of Office
extracted from the earnings of the people.
Thus John G. Calhouns cohesive power of
public plumber constituted the cementing bond
of the combination of political oligarchs who
distributed to themselves the earnings of
"niggers and the spoils of Office in the pre-
tentious name of Democracy" Turning
traitor to itself. it sought to destroy the life
of the nation which it was originally organ
lied to foster and protect.
Such in brief is an epitome of the rise,
progress, and fall of the Democratic party.
That other party, the Republican, was
formed for the purpose of extending the
limits of liberty and circumscribing the terri
tory of slavery. 1t was hailed as the bright
harb;nger of goodwill toward the sons of
men, 1t came to fight the battles of freedom,
and it fought them bravely and successfully
Under it's guidance our nation became 81
ocean-girt republic Of freedom, within whose
boundaries there was no room for slaves. AT
it's call able statesmen came forth to announce
and defend its principles. The names of its
Lincolns. Chases, Stewards, Greeleys. Yates
and Summers are treasured in the hearts and
memories of grateful people. When the
arguments or these men were hushed by the
clash of arms. in the providence of the great
God of the universe, military chieftains
arose who led our armies on to victorious
peace.
During this wonderful age, and under the
administration of this great party, the arts of
peace we're not forgotten. Master-minds
gathered the iron rails of Pennsylvania, the
laurel ties of Nevada and the golden spikes of
California, anc welded them into continental
thoroughfare Tor the sons of men. until, amid
the rejoicings Of forty millions of people. the
lghtnings carried the news, over the noun
tains and under the seas, of the accomplish
ment of this great work. 1t crowned the
MISUNDERSTANDING dome of our national
capital with the fair goddess Of American
liberty.
Could we pause with this Retrospective
view, we'll content would We be to draw the
curtain of history and let the Republican
party live with its laurels clustering about it's
brow; but such cannot be. We have spoken
of it's rise to the zenith of political glory we
now come to note it's disgraceful descent.
Power and wealth begot corruption. and cor
ruption in all parties is but the forerunner of
bigotry, aristocracy. snobbery and dissolution.
Men who were the masters OF the art of war
were made the keepers of the house CT peace.
Such radical change in the rules of the ma
ton necessarily brought with it a change in
it's customs, forms, and modes of procedure.
With the advent of Grantism at Washington,
there has been perceptible and significant
change in the simple usages that previously
prevailed in public life, from the days of
JEFFERSON, and which conformed to the
genius of republican institutions shoddyism
has established itself in the highest places.
and seeks to ape in q vulgar way the practices
of foreign courts. Initiating the example of
royalty, the President abandons the capital as
soon as his loyal Congress adjourns, and es-
tablishes himself at Long Branch for the
season, just as if the public business had no
clam on his attention. The Cabinet and a