The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-07-25
Dead Issues.

|
of considerable learning and not little
literary ability, who are continually find.
ing fault with the masses Of the Repub.
ican party for continuing to fight what
they are pleased to term dead issues.
These men say very often, and with i'm
mense energy, SO, why wave the bloody
shirt any longer? The war is over; tine
rebels have laid down their arms, and
the new times have brought new ques-
tions, new struggles, ana new duties.
these let us devote our attention. y
is the drift of the criticism of pa
poIa like the Philadelphia Times,
Springfield Republican, and others Of
the same kidney, with editors claiming
to be Republican, but showing their af-
lection for the party by denouncing its
leaders and b. lting its nominations
whenever mischief can be thereby &C.
complished.
The objection to dead issues has a
specious air, but is utterly unsound and
deceptive. 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 Gull
minated in the rebellion. The issues
which are really vital to-day are whether
the rights of all the people shall be re-
spected in all parts Of the land; whether
the amended constitution shall be ad-
ministered by the frienns of the amend
ments 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
whether the principles that sustained
the war shall stand, or give way to those
which made the war necessity.
In stating the above as the vital issues
it is not forgotten that there are ques-
lions affecting currency, labor, trans
portation, 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 Democratic party, they one and all
are more completely dead as party ques-
tions than the others which are COM
planned of as being no longer living.
The Republican party gave the coun-
try 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
always 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 it's faith in great public works by
building the Pacific railway but the
Democratic party in all the long years of
its supremacy under Jackson, Van Buren,,
Polk, Pierce, Tyler, Buchanan, ana
Andy Johnson never made the country
present of anything but war and re-
bellion.
The vital issues between the Two par
ties relate, therefore, to the general
ideas underlying the concentration OF
the parties. These ideas are very marked
in taeir general scope and significance,
and no one need mistake them.
The fiIibustering, uneasy, turbulent,
unmanageable, and capricious elements
in the country are found by large ma
jority gravitating toward the Democratic
party. It was the predominance OF
spirits OF this class that made the re-
bellion possible. It was a Democratic
rebellion, and the elimination of long
series of causes that were backed up by
pistol, bowie-knife, and cat O. nine. tail
methods and customs, human slavery
and degradation being the chief corner
stones. For measures favoring educa.
ton, order, public Improvement, eleva.
ton of the laborer and the protection OF
the rights of the lowest and meanest la.
boring man, all look to the Republican
party; for it was under the banner Of
that party that the shackles of oppres
sion were stricken from the limbs of &
whole race, and the principles of equal
ity were applied to the poor and lowly
without distinction of race. color, OF
other merely fictitious circumstance Oh
condition. sgf
The facts are facts of record and no
to be disputed. In the past the ele
ments of our party caused it to gravi
tate to war, disunion and anarchy. The
end sought was wrong the means were
violence. The antagonistic elements o.
peace, union, order, and public pros
perity associated as the Republican
party and conc uered. There has beer
no new association of ideas by which
the relation of things has been changed
The Democrats have not snapped of
their old garments of unrighteousnes'
and taken to clean clothes and godly
ways, and, Notwithstanding their pre-
tensions, they are the same dangerous
force that once led us SO near the awful
brink of destruction. The old antag
onis1ns remain. Both parties retai1
their original elements, and are gov
erned by their original tendencies, an(
are managed by their old leaders
Charles Francis Adams, Julian, and
few apostles have joined the Demo
Gratis, but they are not leaders, and wer,
not welcomed with half the enthusiasm