Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-17
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.


party. For over sixty years of the sh.->
lite of the republic it controlled Its des-
tiny. Under its benign influence peace
and prosperity prevailed. the burdens
of taxation were light, III commerce
grew with giant strides. both by sea n
land. q merchant marine was built up
which was the pride of the nation and a
| surprise to the world. Fratrlcidal strife
came, and upon the passions OF impend-
ing war 4 new party came into power
| 1t is not worth while to argue that this
or that political faction was responsible
great differences OF opinion existed.
which could only be settled by the abitra-
ment OF arms. The war had to be fought.
and it w0S fought. 1t settled two ques-
tons. and two questions only-secesslon
| and slavery. They are both dead. and
| no one desires 10 disturb their corpseS.
The war over, and two great parties
| once more faced each other-tho repub-
lican party grown powerful and lnso-
lent by the prestige OF the war; the
democratic party, proud and defiant
| even rs a minority, demanding constitu-
tional government and economy OF adj
ministration. From lS6l to the present
time. the democratic party has not been
one day in power. From 1851 to March.
1870. xhe republican party had the entire
.,,,-,1 Of tho Xnrnn,apf-S fhnt
! time the democrats have had the lower
house of congress; but the republicans
have had the senate and executive. by
which to check all legislation which did
| not please them. What occurred during
those wears IN which the republican party
had tuli sway? BY frauds and immense
swindles in contracts, a debt OF over two
thousand millions OF dollars was Saddled
upon the shoulders of the producers OF
the country, who must eventually pay
it. very nearly if not quite one-halt OF
it unnecessarily. tor the honest purposes
| of the war. This the people did not
much complain of, rs. in their zeal tor
Suppres,ins the rebeilions at the north
they did not stop to count the cost, and
| the SouthernerS were not thought to be
entitled to criticisc the formation of q
| debt contracted in driving them into
terms. But the war ceased in 1863 the
southern states became once more a
pant of the United States they speedily
| declared against the payment OF their
own war debt, and in favor of paying the
debt contracted in suppressing the re-
be.lion. 1t was then thought that as the
| southern states were once more IN the
| union. and were taxed to pay the ma
tIonal debt. they should be entitled
to all the constitutional rights which the
| other states enjoyed. For advocating
this Just doctrine President johnson was
impeached; and the republican party, q
sectional party which could not have
lived longer than n presidential term
alter the war without the use OF the
army. began its policy OF inilaminS the
hearts OF northern men against southern
meu, 4 policy Of hate which it has con-
tinued ever since. 1t has, in addition,
steadily legislated for the bondholders
! and railroad monopolies OF the country,
and aga!nst the laborers and producers.
Its grandest sin in this direction was the
'.act to strengthen the public credit
which it passed in 1869, against the pro-
test OF i solid minority-an act which,
| for iniamy and cold-blooded robbery,
has never had an equal; an act which
made bonds payable in greenbacks by
the contract. payable in gold. and which
put $500. 900 900 into the hands OF The
bondholders, without one cent OF consld-
Grafton. When it is remembered that
the bonds were bought with greenbacks
worth fifty cents on the dollar in gold,it
enormity may be family realized. Not
satisfied with this service to the bond
holders-a special, privileged class,
whose wealth pays nothing toward the
support OF q government whose protec-
ton and benefits it enjoys--in order to
make money dcarer and everything
else cheaper, that the money lords might
live easier, this party passed the re-
sumption lava solemn farce, whose
brief strut upon the political stage has
caused untold heartaches and agonies,
failures by the thousands, and has crea-
ted an army of tramps, a miserable sam
pie OF the genus homo before unknown
to the country. Even this was not
enough to satisfy the rapacity of aggre-
gated capital. Silver must be demone-
TIED and it was done by fraud and de-
ception. These three sins constitute an
o~tfense against the toilirg millions who
have suffered the consequences. which
should hurl the party responsible Tor
them from power, and cover it with in
fanny. Under this party the credit mo-
bi!ier. whisky ring. naval ring. postot-
flee straw bids, post leadership traffic,
and other corrupt combinations grew
up. which robbed the government, not
Of thousands only. but of millions oil
dollars. 1t fastened upon the country h
high protective tariff. which annually
takes from the producing classes over
800. 900. 900. and transfers 1t, not tC
other lahorers. but into the pockets o.
the manufacturing capitalists OF the
[ east; by this tariff it drove American
shipping off the seas, thereby depriviug
800, 900 American sailors of employment
. and adding them to the army OF tramps
and as 4 keystone to this colossa
, arch OF imposition. venality and fraud
, it has stolen the presidency. The dem
~ocratlc party, on the other hand, ha!
fought each one of these iniguities. |
voted sOlidly against making the nation
n bonds payable in gold. 1t vote
against the resumption act. 1t unearth
ed the various gigantic swindles abov,
alluded to, which has rendered investi
5 eating committees unpopular with re
pubiicans and their allies. 1t has labor
; ed in season and out of season for tn
e repeal of the resumption law, the re
monctizatIon OF silver. and to max