The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-08-01
Dead Issues.

There exists a small class of nominal
Republicans, composed of men possessed
of considerable learning and not little
literary ability, who are continually find
| ing fault with the masses of the Republi-
can party for continuing to fight what
they are pleased to term dead issues
These men say very often, and with i'm
mense energy, 20, why wave the bloody
shirt any longer? The war is over the
ret ss. have laid down their arms, and the
new times have brought new questions,
new struggles, and new duties, and to
these let US devote our attention" Such
is the drift of the criticism of papers like
the Philadelphia Times, Springfield Re-
publican, and others of the same kidney,
with editors claiming to be Republican,
but showing their affection for the party
by denouucing its leaders and boiling its
nominations whenever mischief can be
thereby accomplished.
The objection to dead issues has spe-
cious air, but is utterly unsound and de-
ceptive. The issues involved are not
dead, and they never can die while a
great strong, and aggressive party like
the Democratic party lives and thrives
upon the wicked principles which were
at the bottom of the iniquity that culmi-
mated in the rebellion. The issues which
are really vital to-day are whether the
rights of all the people shall be respected
in all parts of the land whether the
amended Constitution shall be admins
tered by the friends of the amendments
or by their enemies; whether the party
which saved the nation shall be obliged
to take seats back of the party which
fought to destroy the nation, and wheth-
or bn rNrI nI,N1 hot -,
shall stand or give way to those which
made the war o necessity
In stating the above as the vital issues
it is not forgotten that there are ques-
tions affecting currency, labor, transpor-
tatlon, and public improvements of great
moment; but as the Republican party is
much more sound on all these, even in
the view of the critics, than is the Demo
cratic party, they one and all are more
completely dead as party questions than
the others which are complained of as
being no longer living
The Republican party gave the country
the greenback and the Democratic party
denounced and fought it,
The Republican party never pretended
that gold was the only constitutional
currency, but the Democratic party al
ways SO contended.
The Republican party sustained the
constitutionality of the legal-tender act,
and the Democratic party denied it.
The Republican party never held that
internal improvements were unconstitu-
tional, but the Democrats always so held.
The Republican party furnished proof
of its faith in great public works by build
ing the Pacific Railway; but the Demo
cratic party in all the long years of its
supremacy under Jackson, Van Buren,,
Polk, Pierce, Tyler Buchanan, and Andy
johnson never made the country pres
ent of anything but war and rebellion.
The vital issues between the two par
ties relate, therefore, to the general ideas
underlying the constitutions of the par
ties. These ideas are very marked in
their general scope and significance, and
no one need mistake them.
The fllibustering, uneasy, turbulent,
unmanageable, and capricious elements
in the country are found by q large ma
jority gravitating toward the Democratic
party. 1t was the predominance of spir-
its of this class that made the rebellion
possible. 1t was Democratic rebellion,
and the elimination of a long series of
causes that were backed up by pistol
wie-knife, and cato nine tail methods
and customs, human slavery and degra-
measures favoring education, order, pub
lie Improvement elevation of the laborer
and the protection of the rights of the
lowest and meanest laboring man, all
look to the Republican party for it was
under the banner of that party that the
shackles of oppression were stricken from
the limbs Of whole race and the prin-
ciples of equality were applied to the
poor and lowly, without distinction of
race, color or other merely factious cir
cumstance or condition.
The facts are facts of record and not to
be disputed. In the past the elements
that party caused it to gravitate to war,
disunion, and anarchy. The end sought
was wrong; the means were violence
The antagonistic elements of peace, un
ion, order and public prosperity associa
ted as the Republican party and conquer
ed. There has been no new association
of ideas by which the relation of things
has been changed. The Democrats have |
not swapped off their old garments Of
unrighteousness and taken to clean
clothes and godly ways, and, notwith-
standing their pretensions, they are the
same dangerous force that once led us so
near the awful brink Of destruction. The
old antagonisms remain. Both parties
retain their original elements, and are
governed by their original tendencies,
and are managed by their old leaders
Charles Francis Adams, Julian,
and few apostates have joined the Dem
ocrats, but they are not leaders, and were
not welcomed with half the enthusiasm
that ushered in Anderson, Weber, and
other notorious characters who tried to
sell the Presidency to the highest bidder
The success of Democracy means, there
fore, the success of the elements which
compose Democracy, and these are the
same as ever, and will yield the same
brood of catastrophes if they get but the