The Republican journal., 1876-03-09
The True Issue.

cratic party in reference thereto, which
has the ring of true metal. A portion Of
it was directed at the Democratic House
of Representatives, for what was supposed
to be its dilatory movements in exposing
official corruption but as recent develop
ments show that the committees have
done and are doing their work fully and
etfectually, we omit that portion. The
Gazette says:
The Democratic leaders in Congress.
the Democratic party of the country and
the Democratic papers must come back to
the real point in the approaching Presi-
Dental campaign, if they desire to win
the great contest next fall That point is
not the school question with its kindred
topic of the taxation of church property
it is not the question Of free trade as
against protection it is not the Cuban
question; it is not the question of the re-
moyal of the disabilities of Jefferson Da-
Wis, or whether the war of the rebellion
was right or wrong The greater num-
Der of these questions were settled long
ago-settled on the field of battle, in the
laws and amendments to the Constitution
in the reconstruction of the States, and
what is nearly as strong as Legislation and
the decision OF arms, in the almost unani-
nous expression OF public opinion, If the
Democratic party means to elect the next
President, it must abandon all these pro
fitless issues and all this dreary discussion
in the newspapers, and the still drearier
discussion in Washington.
The keynote of the great campaign up
on the eve of which we stand is the re
storation of the government to honesty
and economy, to retrenchment and re-
form Commercially and financially the
country is in deplorable condition Hun
dreds of thousands of people in every sec
ton are out OF employment, mills are
stopped, factories have suspended, mer
chants stand idle in their counting rooms,
wages are reduced, railroads are default
ing on their interests, machinery is rusting
and rotting, and morning after morning
the telegraph brings as regularly as the
sunlight the ever-increasing roll OF bust
ness failures and bankruptcies. This is,
in a word, the financial the commercial
and the laboring outlook of this centennial
year 1t is the part OF craftsmanship to
remedy and improve it. But the way to
do it is not by frittering time away at
Washington in idle and prohtless debate
about Jefferson Davis and the dead Con-
federacy, about the number of Confeder-
ates who have been made doorkeepers,
messengers and clerks to committees in
the national capitol, OF about the number
OF wounded Union soldiers who have been
turned out of Office veterans whose
patriotism has been already well reward
ed on the pension lists, and in payment
OF enormous bounties-city, country and
State. In comparison with the great and
vital interests of the country, all this
drbble is the idle wind, and the men
who take part in it show at once their
demagoguery and their inability to crap
pie with the serious questions of the hour.
1t is the mere cant OF politics and politi-
clans, and the people are sick and tired
of cant We have had fifteen years Of it,
fifteen long years Of Christian statesman
ship and Christian plumber; plumber of
the red man and the white man, of the
Indian savage and the merchant and day
laborer Every department Of the gov
eminent has its rings and series of rings,
standing at the doors of the Treasury and
taking toll from every man who comes
their way. The national government is
honey combed with corruption, and a
blight has been cast over the whole re-
public because of the evil deeds of the
evil men in power.
The Jefferson Davis of 1861, who was
followed by millions Of people, who filed
the world with his name, who led the
greatest rebellion of modern times, is
nothing to us to-day, and nothing to the
Democratic party Of to-day. The princi-
Piles for which he contended are dead
the ideas for which he battled are no
more. He himself is politically dead.
No home, no fortune, no following, why
quarrel over a mere political shadow
which may pass away from us at any
moment?
No, there is graver and sterner work
to do than lighting over poor old jeff Da
Wis, his weaknesses and faults, his sins of
omission and commission He is only
one man who is denied the poor privilege
Of voting and holding office. There are
hundreds of thousands Of men among us
who, owing to our vicious legislation, to
the wickedness and corruption Of the par
ty in power, are almost denied bread for
themselves and their families The coun-
try looks to the Democratic party to do
this work and do it speedily. Industry is
dead; let the Democratic party strive to
revive it, The Treasury is robbed; let it
stop the pilfering and plumber. The the
DRY of our whole government is over
turned; let it bring it back to its old
foundations. The good name of the re-
public is stained at home and abroad oy
unworthy appointments; let it blot out
the wrong.
Secretary Bristow, it is said, is about to
carry out the provisions ofthe first section
Of the resumption act. That section pro-
vides that the Secretary may at his pleas
ure, issue silver coins of the value of ten.
twenty-five, and fifty cents, and redeem
an equal amount of fractional currency of
similar denominations. Some reports say
he will commence issuing ten and twenty
five cent pieces within fortnight, but