Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-09-30
LE0PARDs AND CHAMELEONs.

The Democratic platform bristles with
"Reform." Their speakers in the field
all over the State are billed to address
the people in favor of "Tilden, Hendricks
and Reform" The Wild Ass of Siski-
you Is billed to bray here for Reform in
a few days. Exactly how this great era
of Reform is To be inaugurated in the
event OF a Democratic success we are
not advised. Where "reform. is neces-
sary" in so many places, the great un-
terrified, not knowing where to begin,
may give it up as hopeless task and con
clude to postpone reform dd infnttum.
And such, We judge, will be most apt
TO be the case.
But we are rather pleased that the
Democracy have got so far out of their
beaten track as to accept a change of
shbboeth. We had got tired at last of
being asked if we "wanted our daughter
to marry nigger." We object, decid-
edly, to son-in-law Of that race and
were weary Of saying so. Only we doubt
both the will and the ability of the Dem
ocratic party to carry out the reform so
profusely promised. In fact, they prom
ise too much.
Reform is always necessary. There is
no man whose life is SO pure but he
could make it purer by conquering his
besetting sin. So in government matters
there is always room for improvement.
1t is not, however, to the Democratic
party that we can look for either reform
or improvement. For if reform, like
charity, should begin at home, there is
nothing needs reforming worse than this
same Democratic party. 1t stands con-
vcted of treason when the nation was on
trial, of frauds at the ballot box which
change the vote of State and render its
voice power less Of violence and intmd-
alton to produce political results and Of
murder and assassination to overawe po-
litical opponents. This is hardly par
ty in which to look for genuine reform of
|
look for i when the Chief Reformer is
tainted with connivance ir defeating the
will of the people by ballot box stuffing,
and of defraudng the revenue by false
returns, while his sole claims to the title
he seeks to assume is based upon the re-
trenchmcnt measures adopted by his Re
publican predecessor.
The Good Book tells US that the leo
pard cannot change bis spots, though
free modern reading says he can by chan
ging from one spot 10 another. But the
nature of the beast remains the same.
We have had a sample Of Democratic
reform in the last House of Representa-
tives, and that reform seemed to consist
chiefly in putting Union soldiers out Of
Office and substituting Confederates. -
The nature of the Democratic leopard is
to pander and truckle to every behest of
the slave power. 1t was from that pow
er that its chief strength was drawn in
former years, and it proves itself now
whenever opportunity offers, as ready and
willing tool as at any time in it, history.
1t is very easy for any party to promise
reform. And if the Democatic party
cannot change its nature no more than
the leopard, it can, like the chameleon,
put on any color most likely to lead it
safely to the flesh pots Of office. 1t de-
clared the war failure in 1864 at the
moment when Grant was laundering at
the gates of Richmond and Sherman
marching to the sea it pronounced, in
1868, the reconstruction acts 'revoIution-
ary and void - in 1871, under the lead
Of Vallandigham, it took the "New De-
parture," swallowing all it had ever said, ,
and proved its utter lack of principle the
following year by taking as its Presiden-
tial candidate the life long enemy of the
party and its aims. 1t goes into the pres
ent canvass with candidates representing
two sets of principles, or perhaps we
should say its leader surrenders his views
upon great question for the sake of his
own self-aggrandizement. 1t aims to
place the government of the Union in the
hands of the very men who would glad
| ly have seen the Union sent in twain,
and still ask the country to trust it be-
cause its shibboleth is Reform" Bah!
If anything could prove the utter incapa-
city of n people for government, it
would be the act of placing a Democrat
ic administration in power in the Centen-
nial year. 1t would le offering premi-
um on fraud, violence, intimidation and
murder a confession on the part of the
people of their lack of ability, or
lack of will to protect citizens in their
rights in all quarters of the Union alike.
Democracy may change its tactics and
under the specious cry of Reform seek to
distract popular attention from its real
designs. But the leopard cannot change
its spots, nor can Democracy entirely
conceal its ulterior objects. The Repub-
lican party must stand together until
freedom of thought, freedom of speech,
! freedom of the ballot and freedom of the
| rights of man are assured in every quar-
| ter of the land.
| s--------Ds
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