The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1876-04-22
What is, and What Should Be

WndL Is, ana w nat S0OulQ BE.
The secret of the success Of politi-
cal parties is not SO much a secret af.
ter all, to those who choose to &C.
quire the knowledge of the causes
that lead to such success.
We hear it said, and with much
trnth, that the Democratic party can
not succeed upon investigations and
exposures of the fraud and pecula-
lions of the Republican party alone.
These may, and no doubt do, set
people to thinking but that large
mass of the population, that hope and
look for good government, must be
assured that the party exposing fraud
will do something better than the ex-
posed. In other words, all thinkers
now see that this stealing and plum
dering-these rings and cliques, are
but the natural result of q party gor-
ernmept, and naturally inquire before
clccting a new party to power, if they
intend also to administer the gov
eminent in the same way as those
oustrl. The spirit Of this govern
mcnt is undoubtedly good-its Theory
splendid, but, unfortunately, that
spirit has not emulated parties since
the advent Of Jackson, as President,
and the theory is not yet, after one
hundred years, had practical trial
or been demonstrated to a practical
satisfaction or solution. This Repub.
lie is certainly one of the people, and
intended to benefit the greatest num-
Der, without, however, depriving the
few Of life, limb or property. The
cursed party rule is the banc under
which we have suffered and now
groan; to make itself immortal, we
contend the Democracy has never
had a finer opportunity. Our sue
cess, therefore, as a party, depends
npon how near its principles approach
the great wants Of the people. In
other words, the work of investiga-
ton and exposure 90 far to show the
pernicio"s folly Of party ru'e--the alb
solute destruction that must follow
its reign; then the Democracy must
not only promise peoples govern
ment upon sound constitutional prin-
ciples, but must nominate snch man
as its presidential candidate as will
make those promises a surety.
TO our mind, the road to victory ia
clear. We have but to cnunciatc
sound political dogmas-declare for
hard money; revenue tariff: honesty,
intelligence and capabi|ity, the test Of
official preferment; and home rule
and then nominate such men as will
make this paper promise mean what It
says ; victory is certain. Is there
brains enough among us to do these
things! Certainly, yes. But we con-
slider it the duty Of our leaders to
crush down such men rs would rush
us off to side issues-the Blaines, and
Ben Hills, should not be suffered to
deviate us as a party, from the road
to rllaJ goal, which once REQ e,.ea, -;l,
give assurance of peace and prospect.
ty to our now distracted country.
The loss of the control of this
by the Democracy pre-.
vious to our late war, was the aban-
donment of a line Of patriotic prin-
ciples, founded upon tile theory of
our constitution and the spirit of
Republican principles, for such alb
stracts as slavery in the Territories,
and this divergence in the canvass led
toa submerging of all other ideas,
all other questions in Congress, aud
finally, to secession, war, subjusation
and reconstruction.
From them we have Just emerged
is it patriotic ard wise to repeat the
sad lesson of "abstractism," or shall
we cling to principles more firmly
than ever, thereby profting by those
lessons taught at such fearful cost.
A peoples government is what is now
imperative|y demanded-the Repub-
lican party cannot gire 1t to as ; will
the Democracy do it, ****
From tho Post-otfice, VIC received,
last week, a small package done up
=, no:0ol