The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1875-09-09
Let it be Understood
From ,hs Conmonveailb.

81 Ihe true democratic press of tile
country has a high mission now to
perform. The people demand fully
to understand the great questions
that are to be determined in the
I coming elections.
1t is no time for side issues. i"
The main question is to be put to
the citizens of the United States
Is constitutional goverumentto to be
maintaiued2 This is the real and
only fundamental issue. Grant
and Che radical party are bent on
destroying the form Of government
established by and under the Fed
lera Constitution. Usuipations of.
power, abuses of power, the over
throw of the limitations on grsnted
authority, the use Of the army,
money, fraud, and corruption are
the means this party seeks to use
ito accomplish its puTpose.su ai fs
a The democratic press must both
inform and instruct the people OF
this danger. Questions 81 policy.
temporary and feetiDg in their In
Huenca on the great future of the
people of this country. can not now
be used TO blind the eyes to the
peril which the radical party seeks
to iutiict on the country. Tariffs,
revenue. currency are minor Isl
sues. They are only temporary
IN their effects, but our form Of
government must be- maintained,
and the real issue now is the per
petuity Of constitutional govern
meut. I'VE ask our readers to- |
ponder on the following, from the
Baltimore Gazette, as confrmatory |
of our own views;
nething the democratic party seems
to be losing. It is the virtue, of self I
reliance After fifteen years Of wait |
ing after suffering from scorn and /
conttir1ely, not striking hack, but /
biding. hts time after seeinQ n party
rise to power en- the pTatense of being
ghe party of moral IDEAS after seeing I
the leading spirits OF that party desert
ing its lofty ideal and sreveling in inn
moral pratices after seeing the coun
Iiy given over to Ignorance, folIy. fan
sticism, and venality, it has st length
that stage in the political his
,ory OF the Republic when the people,
blinded 50 long. delnded so long have \
become disguised with leaders who
nave abused their confidence, and are
prepared to assist in their overthrow.
But little more than two wears AGO n
oolish republican experts declared
hat the democratic party was III ai1soa55 Il
Q0T'tis. .....,e s..,.- ss..,., y. -
To-day it acknowledge it has extra
ordinary vitality, and all its earlier
igor Of she boneand sinew.a Not long
go 1t was hated, despised, maligncd,
and persecuted To-day il
an count its legions, and feel that IN.
sss the republicans evade their doom
y changing the issues in the coming
ontest for sDpremaGy, they are des-
med to be hurled into an abyss from
,hioh they WIN rot be able to emerge |
n generation. stafi a. %
Let MS not deceive ourselves. We
ave the whole power of the Adminis- /
ation 10 deal with. We have 10, en-.
lpnter the organized force Of sixty
lousand oftieehOlders. We have also {
yainst us all the rascals- Christian as
Ell as heathen who subsist on pubic !
under tlie monopolists, who have I
own rich under i high protective 4
rltf the great railway and steamship Y
that, BY bribes and p6- 4
ical services, havH obtained large d
rants Of public money and enormous 4
eas OF public land, aud the negro vote
aarly en- RsaSSa These are strong odds
q democratic party has to contend y
ith, and they cam only be successfully r
sisted and overcome BY enlisting the u
'nhdence Of the great body Of the.l n
,ople in its determination to reform 4
'uses, protect The rights Oh the States. \
ii bring back the Government into u
cord with the Constitution as It IA. "
It not as tile republicans have been Ia a
z habit of interpreting 1T. But the Il
rtY must net more cautiously, and y
lst stand firmly by those prfnciDles is
lich for nearly threesqnarlers 81 a g
injury made the democracy the con. q
rvntors of the republic and of the II
yhts aud privileges Of the people, It's 4,
niger lies in eonsenting t0 light the
proaohing battle on o false issue; its
ength lies in taking the offensive
republicans are adrOitly masking NJ
siP movements. @ X
IS - --lEagla "A