Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-06
THE DUTY OF DEMOCRATS.

behooves US, therefore, to Be s%eriousl
thinking of the part which we shal
take in this great work, and the idea
which we shall .endeavor to engraf
upon the approaching national con
vention. Whilst u share III thi
important action may appear to b
Insignificant, it is only made SO b,
our own fault aud inattention to pc
liticsI duty. The people of this count,
are almost . unit in d%enounciug tn
fraud, corruption and hypocrisy o
, the administration of public affair
under republican standardization; anf
they earnestly desire 10 see a change
To accomplish this, however, some
thing more is necessary than d supine
folding of the hands, or senseless, be
cause inactive, complaint. There ii
work to do, and our people, who are
as intelligent aud capable as amy IL
the country, should be fully alive to
it. Let no democrat in Lafayette
county say of the primary conyen-
tons, ooh, they will do what is right
Idon't believe I'll GO )" but let every
man be there to assist in sending,
as delegates to the county con-
vention, men of tried integrity and
recognized Intelligence, that the five
delegates selected 70 represent the
county at Jefferson City may not be
mere cyphers, but men who will have
Al influence for good. Lafayette
county wants her voice to be heard
in the state, and felt in the national
convention. There will be no uncer-
tain sound from her people if she is
properly represented. 1t is a time
when the honor aud welfare of the
people are at stake, aud on the action
taken at st. Louis depends tue pros
perity Of the country. The man to
be nominated there as the standard
bearer must be one of irreproacha-
BILE character /; he must not only be
pure aud honest, but he must be ca
pable, . man of brains as well as good
purposes. The country is tottering
over Q whirlpool of msrceuary rotten
ness, for which the dominant party is
responsible, and the only relief that
can be obtained is by hurting that
party from power. Whilst this is
the case, democrats must not lose
sight of the fact that it is one thing
to nominate q ticket, and another to
elect it. There is no doubt that q
large majority of the people are sick
unto death of republican misrule, but
many of these, and perhaps they hold
the balance of power, are not fully
convinced that they a safely entrust
the management of affairs to the de-
mocracy.. This arises chiefly from a
misrepresentation of the true purpo-
ses aud aims of the democratic party.
In the east aud north our oppon ents
industriously represent us al in1a-
tionists and rebels. They teach the
people to believe that, should the
democratic party be reinstated, the
country would be flooded with an
irredeemable paper currency, which
would soon become worthless ; that
the rebel debt would be assumed by
the government; that amendments
to the constitution would be swept |
away, and that our public school sys-
ten would be endangered. There is
not a word OF truth in any of these
positions ; but, unless we place our
selves sQuarely upon the record on all
of them, we had 90 we'll give up the
fight before it commences. 1t is true
that to . great extent the man will be
the platform, but for all that the
platform upon which he is to Stand
must be unmistakable in its utter
auces. The day for compromises with
political heresies is gone by. On the
finance, on the tariff, OH administra-
union and the free enjoyment OF the
of citizenship, and on all the
live questions of the day the St. Louis
must take a decided and
nnequivocal stand. There are thou
sands Of pure men in this country
who have o acted with us in the
past. who will gladly do SO in the iu-
ture if we do justice to ourselves by
and distinct utterances of a
lound policy. Let the platform be
'hort, tsrse and to the point !; breath
'lg of peace, harmony, fraterniza-
honest government, gentlemen
tor office, loyalty of the south and no
reaction, with a pure man t. stand
lpon it, aud no power on earth can
prevent the election ofthe democratic
Brethren Of Lafayette coun-
y, you have your part to bear in this
battle ; grid on your armor,
Ind do not be laggards in the fight.
The number Of ~convicls at the state
April 9th. was l 361.