Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-08-05
THE DEMOCRATIC WATCH
WORD.

The slogan of the Democratic party is
"Tilden and Reform" 1t has very
pleasant sound, but the "grand old par
ty'' can hardly claim it as original. "Re-
form" has been a trump card for politi-
cal parties heretofore, and as it is the
last one left for Democracy to play, it is
but reasonable that they should play ii
for its full value. Under this specious
cry it seems to them possible that they
may cover the recollectious of their own
misdeeds and build their own party up
by tearing down others. The cry OF
reform" gave being and impetus to the
Independent movement, which carried
States heretofore Republican into the
clutches of Democracy, but the people
looked in vain for the fulfllment Of the
promises SO lavishly made. Generally,
with reasoning men, it is not easy to
catch more than once with the same bait,
and we think that that class of voters up
on whom the ties of party set loosely,
will look with distrust upon the profes-
sions Of this new class of reformers.
Reform does not consist in merely re-
ducing the expenses Of government. That
is simply retrenchment, and that is not
to he justified unless it seeks to lop of
useless expenditures. The laws are made
for pC bic protection, and in all cases OF
necessity should be enforced regardless OF
cost. That system of retrenchment which
aims to cripple the army when we have
war upon our hands with powerful In
dian coalition, or seeks to degrade ouI
standing abroad as a nation by lowering
the diplomatic appropriation needtGl tc
the foreign representatives of a nation OF
forty millions of people, will hardly pass
current as genuine reform. Governments
are lust when instituted with the consent
of the governed, and promotive of their
happiness and welfare. To this end the
law must bear equally upon all-there
cannot be one law for the rich and anoth-
er for the poor, nor one law for the white
and another for the black people. When
such becomes the case, then government
fails in its purpose. What is asked by
law abiding citizens Of every class, is the
enforcement Of all laws until they are re-
peqled or declared null and void by
competent judicial authority. Is this to
be expected in the event ofa Democratic
accession to power Even a prejudiced
person must admit that there is little
promise that such will be the case, while
to an impartial observer there is none
whatever. The only hope which Democ-
racy can entertain of success, is based up
on the Inauguration of such a reign Of
terror in some of the States as will pre-
vent fair expression of popular opinion,
and bring united South in support OF
its nominees. Their the shameless tactics
which elected John T. Hoffman governor
oflNew York in 1868 will again be resor-
ted to, to carry that State for Tilden.
This is what the past shows, and that
must be the guide to judge of the future.
This is n pretty set to look for anything
like reform to come from. True reform
will give to every citizen his rights under
the constitution and the laws. Let the
Democracy show this to be their aim and
we can have faith in their professions,
but until then we cannot.
One thing we need is change in the
mode of electng Presidents. In this, as
in all other elections the voice Of the ma
jority should rule. AS it is, the vote of
n single State may turn the election, and
the vote of that State may be got through
fraud. The Tweed Ring Of New York
City, of which the "Reiorm" candidate
for the Presidency was such shining
light, gave us an insight into the manner
in which this fraud could be perpetrated.
Reform begins at the ballot-box. Where
the honest expression of the peoples will
is given, we need have little fear of con-
sequences. Then the majority rules and
if the ajority is wrong, its verdict can
be reversed on a subsequent appeal. But
when the voice Of the people is stifled,
when the honest voters are overbalanced
by ballot box suffers, the remedy for the
wrong is taken away. And it would be
ridiculous, (were it not for the gravity of
the subject and the magnitude of the in
terests involved), to think of the party
which can unblushingly countenance
such proceedings setting itself up as the
exclusive champion Of Reform.