Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-09-22
Twenty Reasons why Democracy

Twenty Reasons Why Democracy
Should not be Trusted.
For the following good and sufficient reasons
the Democratic party is unworthy of public
confidence:
/. Prior to the war of the rebellion it used
its influence for the propagation of the State
Rights theory, and made doctrine that was
infamous under Jackson, praisewOrthy under
Buchanan.
2. Before the war its policy was shaped by
those who aiterward became the leaders of the
rebellion.
3. During the entire war its sympathies as a
party were with those who had been leaders in
its organization, and who had gone over to the
Confederacy.
4. To-day its policy is shaped by the same
men who in 1861 left it to make war upon the
Government.
5. All through the period of reconstruction
its influence has been exeTted on the side of
the ex-rebel element, and whatever progress
has been made toward the restoration of the
Southern States has been in the face of its
bitter opposition.
G. 1t has kept alive the prejudices engen-
dered by the war, and has encouraged the
persecution of those who we're made citizens
by constitutional amendment.
z. It is the same in sympathy and tendency
version. On the contrary, its enforced retire
ment from power has intensified its preIudices
and made 1t even more dangerous to the nber-
ties of the people than when it was in power.
g. Every disloyal man in the country, every
embittered rebel ho looks forward to the re-
yival of the lost cause, every negro-hater, and
| every Ku-Klux and White Leauge raider
throughout the North or Southis in full fellow
ship with the Democratic party.
g. It is the secret and open enemy Of our
free-school system, and in many States has al
| lied itself with the Ultramontane branch of
the Roman Catholic Church in the endeavor
to break up the system by a division of the
school funds in the interest Of sectarian in
struction.
10. 1t is under the control Of the most dan,
gerous elements OF society-the ignorance and
vice Of the North and the disloyal sentiment
of the South.
II. Although some good men, honest in
their desires to promote the public welfare,
may be found in the ranks of the Democracy,
they are in such helpless minority as to be
powerless to institute reform or to maintain
that which has already been secured.
10. The past record Of the Democratic party,
and its present record, in those States af
ficted by its control show clearly that It lacks
the integrity, the ability and the patriotism
necessary to secure good government and an
honest and economical administration of aG-
fairs.
IS. 1t is pledged by the promises Of It's lead
ers and the sympRthies of it's followers to the
payment of rebel debts amounting in the ag
gregate to not less than 81 ,000, 100000.
IL. Its advent into power would be the Sig
nal for ex x-Confederate raids upon the Treasury
of the United States that would soon add TO
our public debt, depreciate the value Of our
currency, destroy our credit and eventually
lead TO national bankruptcy and reputation
15 The policy of the Democratic party, as
shown by it's ante-war record its record during
The rebellion and sincs It's sc, and the course