Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-06-04

and his party had taught the country to
disregard the written laws of the Consti.
tuition as well as "the unwritten laws of
the country"-such, we suppose, as those
demanding the election and appointment
of honest and capable men-and that eve
Democrats must teach the country to re-
spect them again. And he thought he
was not stating the case too strongly
when he said that for thirteen years
that is, since 1861, when the Democratic
party, Buchanan, Floyd, Toucey, Jacob
Thompson, Howell Cobb, and the rest
went out Of power" the people of the
United States have lived under real des-
potism yelled by the forms of republican
government" Was it worth while to
come all the way from Washington to say
this? And within less than week after
the speech was made the Democratic
party, having obtained power in Connect
cut, selected as a Senator of the United
States Mr. w. w. Eaton. His sole repu-
tation outside Of his State is that of a
politician who during the war was one
Of the most uncompromising Copper
heads" IN New England and Mr. Bay
ards party, to which we are to look for
the new era, puts Mr.. Eaton in the seat of
Senator Buckingham, one of the most
''lOyal" of men--a word which we know
is displeasing to Mr.. Bayard's political
friends-and one of the most efficient of
the war Governors.
This is the comment-this, and the
selection by the Democratic party of
Fernando Wood as Speaker, and its
divided vote upon initiation and the I'M
oh sral TI,a Of u, T. -,
Guiding the speech of Mr.. Bayard -upon
the invitation to regard the Democratic
party as the party of reform and of the
future. The tone of Mr.. Eldridge's report
upon the South Carolina memorial Mr.
Eaton's extreme theories of State rights,
learned in South Carolina, where he lived,
and the basis of his opposition to the war
all tend to show the very serious diff.
cuties that would certainly arise should
that party control the government. 1t is
apparently hard for Mr.. Bayard and his
fellow-partisans of similar character to
see that parties are not judged by their
professions, but by their practices. The
Democratic party WAS defeated at the last
Presidential election not because the
country did not approve many of the
propositions of the platform, not because
il did not wish purity of administration,
or cherished hatred of the Southern States,
but because it was resolved that the new
Union with all its guarantees should be
maintained, and believed it safer in the
hands OF its friends than of its enemies.
Senator Bayard and his friends seem to
forget that we live in new time, under
new conditions, and that party which
by the mere fact of its continued exist
ence represents time happily long past,
and principles and policy continuously
and conclusively condemned by the peo-
pie, is not the party which the country
will trust. Mr. Eaton, for instance, is a
type Of what is called the Bourbon Demo
crat. He differs from Jefferson Davis
only in the fact that he did not take up
arms. 1t would be as monstrous that a
party of which he is the chosen repre-.
sentative-and in a New England State
where, If anywhere, amelioration might
be Xpected--should return to power as
| that the government of the country after
| the Revolution should have been intrusteo
to Tories who had acquiesced." The
country does not need the spirit that &C
quiesces in the new order, but that from
which it sprang. If Mr.. Bayard thinks
that the condition of the country for thir-
teen years is despotism, he would prop,
erly wish to disturb it and restore repub
licanism. That was what Andrew John
son thought and would have done. That
was what Gen. Blair proposed to do with
the sword. And we believe the success OF
the Democratic party to be challenged by
the fact that the country, listening to its
leaders, and watching It's course perceiyes
that the views of Andrew Johnson and
Gen. Blair are more agreeable to it than
the convictions which have restored and
renewed the lTuiDn -H1rpe,.'y UssLI,j