The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-10-24
COugratuIatary IO the Democracy
of West Virginia. Ohio aud
Indiana.
To tho People of the United States:

tisans; we rejoice with you as fellow
And when the decision of this week
of one million voters along the va ley
of the Ohio shall he ratified next month.
by the fiat of 100000 voters through
out the whole Republic, we shall still re-
joice, chiefly for The reason that not one
of its citizens can miss an equal, share
with us who are Democrats, in the Jpo-
litical peace and good will which will
then and there he established among all
sections, races, classes and conditions
of men. and in the prosperity of which
political peace, based on equal rights
anti frafernal good will, is the firstscen-
dition. n :, *
Upon the three States of West .Vjr
giria, Ohio and Indiana, were eoncep.
trated all the influence of the, Admins,
tration, all their efforts, and sll the vast
sums of money forced from the one
hundred thousand officeholders Of the
party in power. ets L
These were fearful olds, not again to
be contended against so concentrated;
for in the November elections the con-
test will he in every one of thirty eight
states upon the same day ,sss
Nevertheless, against these odds the
Democrats and Reformers of West Vir.
ginia and Indiana have been victorious
and in Ohio they have all but rescued s
state hitherto deemed hopeless, and have
created an assurance Of victory in Nov.
ember. &ei s4ss ~
If it falls to our lot as a Nationa
Democratic Committee 10 congratulate
the people of the Union upon this vic
tory in the first battle of the reform
campaign, it is only because Democrats
have been honored to be the leaders %
the people in the work of national re
generation. p1e
The victory won, the victory still tc
be won, will be deliverance as much
to Republicans as to Democrats.
The patriotic masses OF the Republi
can party may. be thankful that the mis-
deeds of their unworthy leaders have
heen rebuked, and are TO be arrested
The suffering whites of the South may
lift up their heads to greet the dawn ol
better day for them as well as the ma
ton at large. The colored citizen may
share the general JOY that he will soor
cease to, be the stock In trade of corrup
politicians, hut shall enjoy his rightfn
liberties and his equality before the Law
amid universal good will, :.
As for the Reform Democracy, t.
whose standard victory has been tied
with all her garlands op, it only remains
for them to welcome every ally, ever,
friend, close up the ranks and press on
4 shoulder TO shoulder, under the banne
and witt, one watch hword,
1 REFORM
i Fellow citizens: Peace between al
sections; Prosperity in all our homes
of these you have been for years depri
we'd by the mistaken solcitudes of pat
riotic Republicans, played upon by BEL
: fish and corrupt leaders, who have KEEP
tanning the dying embers of civil strif
in order 10 escape inspection of th
trusts which they have betrayed.
For eleven years you have had th
name of peace. At no time have .yol
had the substance of peace. In lie
. thereof you have had the grinding taxa
ton and wasteful expenditure of wal
just before every election every yea
you have had the preaching of ne'
, crusade against section utterly defes
, ted in war, and anxious only to be CON
pletely reconciled in peace
For eleven years the power OF th
men who have seized away the contrc
of their party from the hands of il
statesmen and founders has been 81
preme in almost every department 9
the Federal government.
Discarding the hope of prolongin
their domination by beneficent publ
measures, they have created and trafficl
ed upon public calamities. The polio
, they adopted has been worked out. i
!, failure has been absolute. .s.n.
In place of past performances thes
same corrupt and selfish leaders no
proffer promises already broken as thei
titles to further trust. is
Having prostratei our manifold ii
dustries by the vast aggregates and
worst methods of Federal taxation, the
now again solicit your confidence as th
instruments OF retrenchment and ri
form. sar..qs
, Having debauched the public service
and having just now, in the face of ope
day, assessed their army of 10000
Office holders-the peoples servants
paid by the peoples taxes-in order t
create immense corruption funds to fru:
trate the peoples will, they now profes
to be the champions OF. civil service re
, form. Having imposed upon the Soutf
ern States the rapacity, fraud and plpI
der of the carpet-bag goyernments,.ha
, ing almost ruined the prosperity ofsth
North by destroying the prosperity (
the South, having created terror and af
certainty in all the productive industrie
of the South, which furnish most Of th
exports of our whole country, keep, I
motion the commerce and manufactc
: ries of the North and East, and furnisl
+ market for the agricultural product
of the West, they now propose, by re
!, newal of the same fatal policy, to pre-
long their own power in the hope @
, concealing their misdeeds, and for thi
purpose they do not hesitate to rene'
the cry of intolerance; 10 revive the dy
ing memories Of fraternal strife, and t
appeal to the fears and prejudices Of th
: timid and the ignorant.
} Fellow citizens: These men and thei
measures have been completely trie
E and have completely failed. An or
pressive taxation, an exhausted Soutf
/, and impoverished North, fuctuatin
, currency, the enterprises of an indus
trious people locked fast in the paralysi
: of hard times-such is the outcome c
E their political policy, such are tb
!. achievements of their long supremacy
D Your ballots in November can alon
e dictate a change of measures and
change of men. Shall not the uprisin
of patriotism along the valley of th
Ohio go on to complete and benefici.
: revolution in the administration of th
( government of the limited States