The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-12-19

Grand Delusi0ns.-In tho
whirlpool.
EDITOR OF THE PREss:-Since the year 1850
the people OF the United States have been max
ing government. They have atlength unmade
| the one with which they started; the one which
made them hopeful and glorious.
When at first a crazy fanatic pronounced the
Constitution of the Fathers covenant with
death, and a league with hell, +" the heirs Of the
best estate a noble ancestry ever devised gave
little heed to the internal malediction. But an
other generation had scarcely passed before
they thought they saw the clearest Inspirations
| and the most infallible Gospel in the mutterings
of the maniac. Forgetting the old. they es-
poused the new oracles. AS with the celebrated
Sybilline verses in Roman times, they were
made sacred. and College Of priests was ap-
pointed to take charge of them. Yet strange to
say. Garrison and Abby Kelley, the author and
Prophecies, are disowned and dishOLored. They
are without monument, even of rotten eggs.
though they furn shed all the inspirational ele-
ments that go to make up the ne " dispensation-
It begins now to be patent. that having un-
done the work Of the fathers, it is not such an
easy matter to provide substitute which vii,
secure economy in administration. justice and
order among men. and at the same time shut
out all monarchisal tendencies.
But what delusion began, delusion must con-
tinue. 1t is said and repeated, that in Jour sys-
tenn, the majority rules This is absolutely
false. There has not been any great measure
since the election OF Lincoln that san success
fully prove its claim to the approval of the ma
jority of the people. What have majorities had
tn 6O yuith tho Stataa of
Tennessee and Missouri during the swar and
sometime after2 What was the majority
OF fifty thousand against negro suffrage in the
State of Ohio? And what for Congress was
that that divided old Virginia into two govern
nents, and I" played such fantastic tricks before
high heaven as made the angels weepf" In one
House. were members enscting laws, holding
their seats in virtue Of less than 200 votes. In
deed, they were there in virtue Of bayonets, and
not ballots. In the other. States were repre-
sented that had sent no representatives; and in
both houses, representatives that had been le
gally elected were excommu nicated in q man
ner that would have done credit to the Pope of
Rome in his best estate.
In Ohio Vallandigha was never voted down
could he have unfettered the tongues of his
friends. and set up again the presses that had
been closed and demorished, he would have been
Governor Of Ohio. This is enough at this time
about our Mexican republican najorities.
After the war was fully inaugurated, and A.
least two millions OF men were taken out OF pro
ductive employment and set to cons uming and
destroying property in the most scientific and
effective manner, q missal was sent out by the
Great Secretary Seward. from his head-quar-
tiers in Washington, where he kept that inter-
esting piece of furniture. little bell. A grand
financial discovery was announced. 1t was as
inc a iccQl col ~,
astonishing things. that +" the country was new
er developing material resources SO fast before
This took, for it was treason not to believe it
Ploughshares were recast into cannon, and
pruning hooks into war-blades. The ranks
were the only patriotic and profitable place in
which to live or die. All branches OF the gov
ernment increased their pay: and Congress
sought to devise ways in which to spend the
surpiusage of resources. Rail Reads. Credit
Aobiliers. public buildings snd baths. pave
ments. monuments. statues and pensions, be-
came q sort of fractional currency in the pock-
cts Of our rulers. The people, lest they should
| he suspected. either rushed into speculation. in
| imitation of those who had become Installed in
the new national machinery.
This delusion has had its day at last. The first
explicit confession Of this deception was made
| this year on the stump BY General Garfield.
Hayes has tried to follow his line Of argument
in some Of his efforts. especially in his message.
| It became necessary to reverse the logic Of the
| last fifteen years in order to explain the enor-
nous debts that burdened both State and people
Why don't they say that the war was Of too
short duration; and that. had 1t continued lit
| tie longer. we should have accumulated enough
| to pay all our debts. As well say this, Is what
they did when they wanted more soldiers. But
| the republican party was eradled in falsehood
I .. wall vii it& haa in a nF lioeSp
There was another sweeping imagination tha
spread even outside the abolition camp. and in
fected to a considerable extent the Democratic
fold. 1t was said that If slavery could only be
wiped ont, the NEGRO question" would be
eliminated from Congress; and I'VE should
have quiet and concord again in our national
councils" This vain idea found too many sup
porters. for reasons too numerous to mention.
The freedman is now u bigger elephant than the
| slave ever was. and Massachusetts is another.
and always will be, until half her population are
negroes. No portion of the white races has ever
consented to live with the black race in any de-
gree of equality. When this happens, then it
will be time to adapt laws and constitutions to
such q voluntary relationship. The Republican
party has now fixed capital invested in max
ing over the human races according to the
method Of the celebrated robber Procrustes. II
traveller was too long to flt his bed. he Topped
of his limbs if too Short his body was stretched
till it fitted the contrivance. Here is the model.
and the only authority that can be appealed to
in support Of many Of our recent measures. But
they are enough to guarantee bloodier strife
than we have yet witnessed.
But let US pass by large family Of frauds and
come down to the present year. The staple story
OF the campaign has been. ' the wonderful pros
perity OF the country" ''the excess Of the ex-
ports over Imports" the increase of business
On Rail Roads, !" " the amount of cr>ps," and the
Improvement in manufacturing industry"
These subjects make excellent ophiates to quiet
pain and stsmulate again to activity the faith
of the faltering. But their life is Short It will
soon be seen what ali these boasts amount to. 1t
is said the election was like an earthquake"
and yet no mortgage was lifted from a single
farm by it; and this Year. Us never before, inter
est will be added to principal. to swell the bur-
dens already too grisvous to be borne.
When the fan mer giDes his Surplus crops to the
trader and the railroads, is it any wonder that
somebody abroad can afford to buy them? And
when all these signs of pro, O,perity have fulfilled
their mission will it not be true OF this year
that more debts have been contracted than have
been cancelled?
1t is supposed the Inhabitants of Portage
County. in Indebtedness. will average the other
counties of the State. If thoir Indebtedness is
81 600 600. dividing it among the 20 township at
800 600 each, the nteres; at per cent, for each
township will be S. 0O0 and for the county $780,
900. II 10 this be added the yearly taxes. the
! amount will exceed the net gains Of all the
| crops and labor of the county. Applied to the
State and the conclusion will be the same. This
is the kind Of prosperity We are having. and this
| is the kind of fnancicrs we are. have not put
| the figures high enough for Iowa and some other