Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-07-03
4 Snecimen of Democracy.

known as the democratic party Is TO IL
lustrate the diverse signifcation Of certain
political phrases when used in connection
with the two parties. We know in gen.
eraI way what Civil Service Reform sig
nifed when the great need of 1t was urged
BY democrats out of power upon kepub-
hcans in power. We know that 1t meant
the abolition of the spoils system and
tae substitution Of honesty, ability, and
fidelity as the tests for Office. We should
never have known, though, what 1t meant
as applied to democratic exercise OF auth
GRITTY and distribution of offices If We had
no, witnessed the entry Of democratic
majority upon a taste Of power and pat
ronase IN the last Congress. For them
it meant the descent upon Washington OF
a hmished horde Of idle and ignorant
aud lame and lazy and impudent and
greedy politicians from the whole country
sweeping removal Of every republican
uho held an Office they could reach, and
the installation in their places Of as IN
competent and worthless a set as ever
settled on a people, scOurged a community,
or sacked a treasury. Then what large
and striking illustrations they have given
Us the past year Of that charming phrase,
laying aside craftsmanship Honey Is
bitter to the sweetness with which the
democratic editor overwhelmed the repub-
licaas who laid aside partisanship aud
voted for Tildcn. But within few
months past there have been several cases
reported of democrats who have laid aside
yartisanship to say they approved the pol
icy of the Administration. Whew How
that altered the case. The democratic
editor sees nothing in that but disloyalty,
trcachery, weakness, and a reprehensible
hankering Tor Office.
And now the Connecticut democracy,
Which seems specially endowed with the
most striking characteristics Of the party,
is giving Us a fine illustration OF the mean
IN of democratic rhetoric about burying
the past, and letting bygones be bygones,
and all that. By the death Of the late
incumbent the office Of State Attorney for
New Haven County has fallen vacant, and
the choice Of successor deyolyes upon
the Judge, of the Superior Court. The
most prominent candidate for the place
+, the Hon. Oryilie II. Platt Of Moriden,
a gentleman Of the highest personal char
actcr, whose integrity, ability, and fitness
are unquestioned. But in the year 1861
Mr. P.att, being a member Of the Con
ncc,icut Senate. introduced 4 resolution,
which was carried, ordering the removal
Of the portrait Of ex-Ci0y. ThoS. ii. Sey-
mour from its place on the walls Of the
chamber, that gentleman having given
grave ofeuse to the loyal ana patriotic
sentiment of the people Of the State by
his openly avowed sympathy with the
South aud hostility 10 all the war meas
urcs OF the Government. To be sure 1t
was a good while ago, and the people Of
Connecticut and Of the whole country have
forgiven and forgotten a great many
things almost as bad as that since then.
but the Connecticut democracy, as repre-
Scutei by It's mouthpiece, the New Haven
Register, cannot forget or forgive so enor-
nous a crime Is this That Is asking too
much The Register, speaking OF Mr..
P,a,t's candidacy, says: The democrat
lie party should never forget his insult 10
the memory of the Hon. Thomas II.
Seymour during the late unpleaSantneSS,
and II he gets this appointment 1t viii be
by the vote Of = democratic nudge, which
We viii not believe until it i 50 recorded.
No mere partisan should occupy such a
position, and the deiamer Of Tom Sey-
mour has no claim on democratic sup
port" How edilying this Is as an illus
iration Of the real significance Of letting
bygoues be bygoncs from a democratic
point Of view. There was disposition
manifested in certain quarters year or
two ago, when Mr.. VIM. W. Eaton was
an uncommonly anxious candidate for
United States Senator, to hold that gen
tleman responsible for some Of the many
ridiculously disloyal and silly pertorman-
ees with which he peppered what might
be called his career during the war, then
the Register and all the rest rose up and
said, oh, that's mean don't do that /;
this Is an era OF good feeling We must
forget the past, and let bygoues be by
cones. And so the liberal republicans
and those democrats whom Mr.. Eaton
had more than insulted, inaugurated the
era and elected Mr.. Eaton Senator.
It's one Of the funniest eraS ever Op-
ened. The good feeling seems TO be all
on one side, and the laying aside parts
anship on the other. And the only pur-
pose served Is to illustrate the sincerity
Of demo ratio professions and the consis-
tency OF their performances. In this case
it would be hard 10 match the gross IN
decency Of any such partisan interference,
with Judicial appointment by a bench Of
judges, To thrust under the noses of the
Judges such partisanship as this, and
boast that it must be an effective argu-
ment because there's democratic major
ity on the bench, is well, it can't be char
acterized so well by any other words
democratic. Connecticut democracy does
have its uses-as horrible example,
New York Tribune.
THE WAR 10 Eorope has at last assum-
ed phase OF interest to the general read
er. Saturday the Russian troops crossed
the Danube, opposite the Turkish port OF