The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-07-30

see that subject tucked away in three
line paragraph.
The "harangue" part Of course has
its place, from the force of habit, ia
every Democratic platform, but we can
not avoid the feeling that the present
specimen marks "A great decline in the
abliiiy Of the party to get mp literature
Of that description. Look at this, for
instance: "It the Republican party
has burdened each town and city With
debt and taxation aud driven them H.
the verge OF bankruptcy. THIS is a
grave charge, but a charge against the
Democrats, municipalities which have
brought Themselves into great straits
by debt, with scarcely prominent ex-
ception, are run by Democrats. They
have made such reckless use Of munci-
pal credit that several States have been
almost driven to the alternative of de-
priving cities and towns of their power
TO create obligations. just as this State,
as matter Of self protection, has laid
strict limitations on the power Of
school districtt to incur Indebtedness.
This part Of the platform is serious
charge and the Lansing convention has
obviously done criditable public SER
vice in calling attention TO the hsgrant
mlsdeeds Of Its own party.
"lt has squsndered the public lands"
says the platform, and to enable the
public to appreciate this species of n,is-
deed aud further secure It's own con-
sistency the convention named for Gov
ernor the leading Michigan mau IN the
business Of Carrying out this "squan-
dering." Mr.. Barus has made his
enormous wealth largely ia the land of
fee of the Jackson, Lausiug aud Sagi-
nav road, the leading grant of which IL
now being "squandered" to extend its
line northward. snd has been "squan-
dered" heretofore To build q railroad
up through the center of the State be-
tween the three cities Of Saginaw, Lam
sing aud Jackson. II was probably the
judgment of the convention that this
''crime" Of the Republican party would
not come within popular compreheu-
sion unless the man most extensively
connected with the "crime" were NOM
mated for Governor on the Democratic
ticket. Hence the selection of Nc.
Barnes. Crime and criminals ought 10
be studied together and when IL comes
TO the vote on Governor, we have no
doubt that the righteous people of the
State will show their condemnation Of
land-grant crimes.
But it is not ia the denunciation of
its own ruinous municipal extravagau-
ces aud the denuuciation of the busi-
ness IN which it's leading candidate Is
engaged that the platform shows the
decay OF party ability to get up diatri-
bes. The TRADE in this document is
very watery besides the platform of 1864
with its denunciation of the .'four
years OF failure TO restore the Union by
the experiment OF war" and its outcry
against putting down the rebellion be-
cause the war was an "open and avow-
ed disregard Of State rights" The
Lansing declaration Is utterly pale and
insipid in comparison with the eighth
plank Of the National Democratic plat
rOrm Of 1868, which charged tue Re-
publican party with having instead Of
restoring the Union dissolved it" aud
argued IN sober earnest, with perispi-
alton running down the Democratic
face, that under it THE Republican
party's repeated assaults, the pillars
Of the Government are rocking on their
base and should IL succeed in Novem-
ber next and inaugurate its President
General Grant We will meet as "a sub
iected aud conquered people. amid the
RUNS Of liberty aud the scattered frag-
ments OF the constitution. l. must be
admitted, We think. that the present
declaration isn't much If a trade and
that tho new hands have lost the art Of
getting up Democratic platforms.
There ~ Que significant omission in
the document. The convention nOmi-
natod State ticket aud asks the peo-
pie to elect II for theState government.
The platform ought to have been a
reason, If there had been any, why the
State should go to experimenting with
Democratic officials. Nothing was said
on the subject for the obvious reason
that there Is nothing OF the sort 10 say
Michigan met with every variety of
misfortunes while it was in Democratic
hands but Republican administration
of State affairs has been emiuently iu-
dicious and efficient and the manage
ment has observed the closest economy
from first To last. Not even the Dem
ocratic platform recommends or ex-
pc"ts a change, for that party has no
improvements to offer and no assur
ances that il could manage State affairs
so much to the advantage of the State
as they are now conducted.