The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-07-24

THE short but lying platform of
the Michigan Democracy is dissected
by the North american in the follow
ing pungent style:
The Michiganders seem to have
had some consideration for the read
ing public. They deal largely in 6c-
ton, and though their resolution
makers do not endanger the fame of
Swift, LeSage or Cervantes, they
have done sery well They accuse
The Republicans with having squan-
dered the public lands and funds; of
legislatiug for the rich against the
poor; of burdening every town and
city with debt and taxation; of driy-
ing our commerce from the seas, aud
of destroying our once powerful navy.
And finally it is accused of stealing
the Presidency frcm the people and
placing a fraud in the Presidential
chair.
All this is very bad indeed and
since most Of it is susceptible of dem
onstration, if true, perhaps it would
be a good thing il during this dread
ful weather some Of the Democrats
of elegant leisure in Michigan would
set themselves abous proving the
charges. If the Republican party
mas sluandered the public moneys,
it q be shown. We deny it. II it
has iegislated for tie rich against the
poor, it can be proved. We deny it.
If it has burdened every city and
town with debt and taxes, the facts
can be shown. We deny it. Ii it has
driven cur commerce from the seas it,
can be proved, and if it has destroyed
our once powerful navy, that fact can
be shown. We deny it in toto. These
alleged isets have no more al exist
ence and no more foundation in his
tory than the Battle OF S~lievegam-
mon, or the sucking of Romulus and
Remus By q she-wolf. They belong
to the realm of romance, and have
lust about as much bearing on the
questions Of the day as fables. No
body is expected TO meet such charg-
es with anything but square denial.
As o fact the records show 6 much
smaller percentage of loss Of public
moneys under Republican rule than
the average loss under the rule of
any party during the last forty years,
and a smaller percentage of loss than
the average sustained in private bus
mess. That the Democrats have as
sisted largely in burdening cities and
towns with debt and taxes is demon
strated in every Democratic city and
town, and the city that carries the
greatest burden Of debt and imposes
the heaviest burden OF taxes to-day
has never been under Republican rule
for a single hour.
Perhaps the coolest charge Of eli
is that the Republicans have driven
our commerce from the seas. 1t is q
notorious fact that our commerce was
destroyed by ships built by Demo-
Gratis, or purchased with money fur
nished by Democrats, and ofhcered
and manned by Democrats. And
we doubt il there is an idiot even.
outside of Michigan, who does not
know this to be q fact. The charge
that Republicans have destroyed a
once powerful navy is just as ridicu-
lous. The Republicans found no
navy worthy of the name when they
took the helm. They ereated a pow
erful navy, and with it drew s vall
of decentralization about the Confed-
eraey on its sea approaches, and ef
fectuallv isolated it from the outer
world. The creation of that navy
was fought from the outset by the
Democratic party. When X was
created it was ridiculed and den6unc-l
ed by the Democrats. They said it
was a iotiiIa Of old tubs and death
traps, and that its blockade of south
ern ports was a sham. The world
knew better then, and even so stupid
a creature as q Michigan Democrat :