The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-09-08
The Proper Issues.

The independent press is very earn
cstly engaged in determining just what
is not to be considered in the discus
sion of the present canvass in this
State. They intimate what we may
be permitted to consider, but are very
decided as to what shall be left out Of
account. The war record of the Dem
ocratic party, and particularly It's
ante.war transactions, are to be total.
ly ignored. Reason why; they have
accented the situation, and we have
shaken hands across the bloody chasm.
Therefore, we arc to forgive and for
get the past, and consider only the i'm.
mediate present. Let us think of this,
a little The present, we concede,
should not be ignored, and we do not
propose to avoid any of its issues, that
are sufficiently important TO merit con-
sideration. But thore are several par
ticulars in which the past must be
called in 20 enlighten the present.
For example, the trustworthiness of
the Democratic party is involved in
The question Of permitting it the re-
possession of power. What is our
Judgment, as to this, to rest upon?
Promises? That party accepted the
results cf the war, and fought the en-
franchisement of the colored race with
ali its power 1t declared greenbacks
unconstitutional, and now demands
unlimited imitation. 1t has fostered
Ku- Nuxism, whose aims were to ter
rorise aud practically re-enslave
Southern blacks. In this State it
promised reform and economy, and
gave US, last winter, a Pandemonium
for Legislature, and extravagance for
reform. Certainly, then, we cannot
trusr its mere word, for, as party, it
always lied, when ialsehood would
serve its purpose. At this very mo.
ment, its leaders are preparing plat
form, in this State, not on the basis Of
actual convictions, but 10 catch popu
lar favor. Y4 2u.a "a
Shall we trust the present spirit o
the party? Has the wolf become .
lamb? Is the tiger kitten? Wha
was the revelation made in the severa
States where they gained power las
year? In Illinois the Legislature wa
the most shamelessl y corrupt eve
known in that State. The Speake
was violent, Ignorant and vicious. /
was an example Of all that was bad
Ohio, with a Democratic Governo
aud Legislature, was of the sam,
stripe. So utterly corrupt was tn,
Ohio Legislature that even the Demo
cratic press implored it to adjourn
while the Governor (Allen), in plac,
of exposing its villainy, or attemptin!
to check, joined in the helpless cry fo
it to adjourn. These are undenieC
and undeniable facts In this Stat,
the lower House was totally unman
ageable, and so shaped the appropria
tions that even the charities of tho
State were not provided for Thes'
are facts as to States that have beer
free from the slave power. In th,
Southern States violence and murde
have been the feature. Even Demo
cratic journals have recorded outrage
that resulted from Il spirit Of fiendish
ness toward the black race. What
then, shall we turn to, that we may
know what the Democracy are?
We answer that the past record us
ually serves to illustrate present fit
ness, both in parties and men. If un
der former trusts, man proved him
self thief or forger, he would not
probably, be again trusted, no matte
what his declarations, unless there wa
some strong, tangible proof of a chang
of propensity. Before the war, th
Democratic party turned the whol
power of the Government to the per
petuation of slavery. 1t used tb
Uui,ed States Supreme Court in tn
bred Scott decision; it chased and le
turned runaway slaves, manaclinI
them right under the shadow of Bun
kcr Hill; it deluged Kansas witt
blood that il might be forced into th
loathsome embrace of slavery; ant
eventually it plunged the country in