The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-27
o. 9Jzlailg Arens,
Monday. March az. 1876
The Democratic Plan of Campaign.

Democratic party held the reins of govern s
ment Such length Of time would have L
evolved many valuable lessons Of expert /,
ence, even had the course of events run in
ordinary grooves; but when four of these q
years were filed with the greatest rebellion
in history, and the remainder employed in
efforts to reconstruct the political and so
cial systems shattered by the shock of arms,
il is impossible to conceive of "a better op II
portunity for a minority to learn wisdom
from the successes and the failures, the
right doing and the wrong doing of the
majority. If the Democracy have not i'm
proved this opportunity it is their own
fault. They have gone through such an
ordeal as few parties could have survived. |
From the height of prosperity and power
they were struck down into the depths OF
adversely and weakness, and while thus
struggling beneath crushing weight 81
misfortune were compelled to bear the
bnrdeo of others sins as we'll as their own, |
and endure re2roach whose sharpness was
intensified by the conviction that 1t was
undseryed. 1t might naturally have been
suDposed that chastisement so long and so
heavy. trials so varied and so bitter, hui
initiation so complete and so aggravated,
would have rid the party OF its fools and its
folly, aud bound its members together in
firm and unselfsh union; union pledged
and consecrated to one single object; the
restoration and establishment of those
fundamental principles of Democratic gov
eminent whose practical workings spurl-
Gus Republicanism had suspended 10
war aud repudiated in peace. This
supposition has not been altogether verified
BY the result; in fact, the most intelligent
and the most honest Democrats are them
selves compelled to admit that many gross
blunders have already been committed, and
unless these are speedily retrieved and
greater vigilance exei cised hereafter that
there will be small chance of victory in the
approaching campaign. The nature and
extent of these blundrrs may be SO briefly
and plainly set forth that the dullest COM
prehension need nor err therein.
What, then, is the political stock-ln-
trade which the ideas and the actions of the
Republican party placed in the possession
OF the Democratic party, to be wisely lm-
proved or recklessly squandered? The
restoration of all branches of the govern
ment to their original purpose and purity.
For fifteen years the American people
have seen their most cherished institutions
gradually melting away before their eyes
They have seen that organic law, once the
most sacred thing to them on earth,
virtually abolished whenever it intertered
vita the plans OF an INSCRIPTIONS MAORI
ty they have seen the legislative depart
ment overriding and not untrequently
nuliiyiGe the Judicial, and the executive
neutraliZlng and absorbing both. Ihey
have seen Capitalization first tolerated,
then excused aGd then openly advocated,
and from all these great innovations they
have seen a train OF lessor ones following
as the eneyitable effect of a perniclous
cause. There is not man OF ordinary
sense in the country to day, whatever may
be mis- politics, who does not know and
feel that the government Is not what II
was q quarter of century ago, and that
the change has been for the worse and moi
for the better There is not patriotic
citizen in the country today, whatever
may be his politics, who would not, ii tht
issue was fairly and squarely presented tt
him, vote for the demolition Of the new
system and the rebuilding Of the old-th
rebuilding, of course, to embrace all thos
alterations made necessary by the result
of the war. In other words, at least nine
tenths of the people are dissatisfied wit
the logical consequences Of RepubhcG
rule, and are anxious to bring matter
back as nearly US possible to the old basis
the basis laid down by the founders an
fathers of the republic. But instead {
making this simple aud strong issu
which requires no argumen
10 defend. no array of ev
dence to enforce; an issue which speal
for itself, and would triumph unasslsted
nI 70, do hn q
thus far ignored it entirely-at least SO +
a. its practical improvement is concerne
They have quarrelled about the currenc
az if able and EOnC st administration OF II
tional affairs was not OF more lmpOrtan
than paper or gold dollars. They ha
allowed themselves to be drawn into d
uutes about the wounds Of the war, as II
were not of more importance to heal t
ulcer which is eating into he nation 5 hei
than to rake over the wretched remin
ccnces of an irrevocahe past. They 8
wasting time and breath III discussing t
claims of this or that section; this or th
candidate to the nomination; as II 1t VT
not more important 20 organize vlctt
than to satisfy a section or name a can
date They have acted and are acting as
all the cards were in their own hands. a
that all they had to do was play them a
WIN when the truth IS that some OF
best of these cards have been transfer
to the watchful and desperate gambler
the other side of the table, who is sure
make the most of bis opponents carele
nees and stupidity.
The mistakes--to call them by the M
est name-of the Democratic party h
been serious, almost fatal, indeed ye
is not too late to remedy them by il
cious and energetic shifting of the line
battle We should attack the enemy,
let the enemy attack us; attack him VIII
he is weakest, not where he is most stro
ly fortified; attack him with those pri
pies about which the honest men of all |
ties agree, not with those theories alb
which the honest men of all parties dit
And if anything worth doing is to be dc
it must be done quickly. Delay is alT
dangerous but in this case it is destruct
ST. Louis RepubIicnn
THE POOR MANS BREAD.