The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-04-01
Is There Democratic Party?

Is There a Democratic Party?
We endorse and adopt most heartily
the following from the HllJreesbOro
Ne1gS:
The question is frequer thy asked by
thoughtful men, is there Democratic
party in Tennessee, or is the thing called
by that name simply a bushwhacking,
office-seeking, mutual advantage associ-
alton? To say the least of it, it is the
grandest farce konwn in the catalogue of
parties. Well, what is it? Yes,we are all
"agin" Brownlow's military, and want
all we can get out Of State, county and
neighbors that don't have to ne paid for,
and when that is said it is as far as ne all
agree. But hold, we do have State con-
ventiOns every two years, and report
high flown resolutions and adopt plat
forms that mean pig or puppy, just as
this precinct or that choose to construe it.
Yes, then we all 60 home and swear we
have done bully forOur great party. We
put forward our candidates, whOop and
hurrah for them. Our candidate for
Governor touches lightly upon the plat
form, denOunces BrOwnlOw's militia and
asks our sutfrages. The candidate for
the Legislature from one county pro-
claims he is for the dear people, and will
ride on no platform formed and cut out
by bOndholders and rings and cliques.
Another favOrs reputation, another
schools, another no schools; one no tax
alton, another 20 cents on the 500, an
other 80, another 60, and all agree upon
one thing, that the crisis is too critical
with the party for any of them to say a
word in defense of the party or its adj
ministratiOn in the State, but that we
must let every tub rest on its own bot
tom, and when l can, in my county, get
in by crying militia, and l in mine by
favoring reputation, or in mine by
opposing funding, or l in mine by de-
nouncing bloated bOndholders, rings,
combinations, caucuses, etc, and appeal
ing to the dear people-that is all that
can be asked of us. But still we are all
good Democrats, members in high stand
ing, and all can repeat "BrOwnlOw's"
prayer, and still, with the two eXcep-
tions above enumerated, when they col
ect at the capitol there is no three of
them that can tell or define the last plat
form adopted, and in numbers of cases
could not tell you the population of the
State, the number of counties, their chief
products, whether fools or ginseng.
And thus we go from year to year,
and in each succeeding campaign appeal
to tn dear people to return us to power,
to whip in the weakened our party is
the best; look out for BrOwnlOw's mill
tia, etc, if you don't all stand together
and vote a solid Democratic ticket. just
think of it for awhile, and contemplate
the benign blessing you are privileged
to enjoy in being member of that great
and good party as it exists in Tennessee
The old thing needs a shake up, a new
deal, and unless the men who pretend to
run it take a new shute in the neXt
campaign, they will find thousands who
Will cease to vote against BrOwnlOw's
militia any longer. They must go to
work and organize party of principles
they must have a platform to govern
them, and he who is not of them must
be against them. They must put for
ward men of ability and capacity to fill
their places of honor and trust-meI
who have minds and can have them felt
They must draw the line before they
can accomplish it, and the party must be
led by men of age, experience, ability
and character, and no longer controlled
by renegades, scalawags, striplings and
mere place hunters. They must by
some means get for their party an or
gan at the capital of their State-able
honest, and managed for the good Of the
party and upon principle, and one thai
cannot be subsidized by high or low into
tame submission, neutrality, or the vii
of any one man. Let it be the exponent
! Democratic principles attacking what
! is wrong and favoTing what is right, and
above all, have il controlled by man OF
men who are above the faint of corrup-
ton, and whose life has not been a serie.
of political knavery, ingratitude and du.
plicity.
We may have written strongly anC
apparently rashly, but it is truth thai
has become of late to be rare com.
modify, and unless our advice is needed
in the prosecution of another campaign
the sO-called Democratic party of Ten
nessee viii find itself out of power, anC
may be turned over to the tender mer-
cies of BrOwnlow's militia.