The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-10-24
WHAT WILL HE DOg
HOW will the Honest Money Democrats
Vote at the Coming Election?

There are many Democratic voters in
this state who heartily concur in opin-
ION with the Republicans on the fnan-
cial question. wa. @ Herr.
l. They as heartily detest the attitude
which, under reckless and dishonest
leadership, their own party has assumed.
The alternative presented to them is
to vote for their convictions and against
their party, or to vote. for their party
and against their convictions.
What will they do?
They know that the question of an
honest, constitutional currency is the
one paramount issue in the present can
vass. They know that every vital inter-
est of the country demands the resump-
ton of specie payments. They know
that the Democratic party in this state.
as an organization, is committed against
resumption. and that every Democratic
candidate for congress STANDS upon q
platform which expressly pledges him to
oppose resumption, or to a policy
which would Inevitably defeat it.
They know that vote for any
Democratic candidate for congress is a
vote to prelong the regime of an
irredeemable and sAuctuating pa
per currency. They know that
the financial principles which the Re
publican party represents are in harmony
with Democratic traditions and with
the utterances of all the great leaders of
the Democratic party in the past. They
know that the financial principles pro-
claimed by the Democratic state con-
vention last year, and now maintained
by their party, are in direct antagonism
with all its previous professions. Shey
know that vote for a Democratic cam
didate for congress this year is not
vote to promote the public welfare, but
simply to put Braggs and Boucks and
Deusters in office, to encourage dema-
gogues, to reward political dishonesty,
to nourish delusion and to foster the
growth and spread of Greenbackism.
What will they do7
The spectacle of the free citizen de-
posting his ballot has inspired poets
with song. They have sung how that
ballot executes freeman's will as light
ming does the will of God. But what
sort of strains would the spectacle of an
honest money Democrat going to the
ballot box and voting for Democratic
candidate this year inspiref Only
Juvenal or Swift could properly char
acterize it. Would such ballot exc
cute a freeman's will? Would it not
rather be the ballot of a submissive
slave, wearing the shackles of party,
with no will that he dares attempt to
execute, but fulfilling in awed sub
serviency the will of his master!
What can the honest money Democrat
do then?
Finding that he cannot vote with his
party without degradation and shame,
shall he, like the bull-dozed negro in some
Louisiana parish, stink away from the
polls on election day, and keep aloof
from the haunts of men7 That too is
hardly the part which an American free
man would choose. There is another
and better course of action open for
him to adopt. It is a course already
sanctioned by noble precedent. Once
before in our state history great and
paramount issue was before the people.
1t was when rebellion threatened the ex.
istence of the Union. Then as now the
leadership of the Democratic party fell
under the control of men who directed
it into courses hateful to the hearts of
multitudes of Democrats. Then as now,
men had TO choose whether they would
blindly follow their party or DO truo
to their own convictions. Thou
sands of war Democrats, finding
their own party committed to a policy
contrary to their views of duty and
patriotism, and finding the Republican
party in harmony with their sentiments
on the paramount question of the time,
came forward, with a manly independ-
ence, and voted and acted with that
party until the rebellion was crushed
and the Union saved. Many of them
then returned to their former political
affiliations. They did not lose caste in
their party by this exhibition of indie
pendence. Their old associates were
glad enough to welcome them back.
They have never been submitted to any
discipline on account of their conduct.
1t is not dangerous to bolt a party that
puts itself manifestly in the wrong. 1t
is only dangerous to stay ia it under
such circumstances.
One thing must be clear to honest
money Democrats The present policy
of the Democratic party will either be
defeated, or will have only a temporary
success. Once food the country with
paper money, cut off all the sources of
coin supply for the treasury, and an
nounce that the purpose of resumption
is abandoned, as it is proposed to do, and
the inevitable consequences could not be
postponed. Bankruptcy and ruin would
speedily follow, and people, taught by
sad experience, would return under the
sway Of reason and common sense, with
decided craving for honest money. But
such lesson is too costly. All good
citizens should cooperate to avert the
calamities with which financial follies
threaten the country. Prevention is bet
ter than cure. The honest money
Democrats should act and vote with the
Republicans who are like minded with
themselves. Let him who has "no
stomach to this fight depart" but those
who know 4 what sound finan-
cial principles Is are, and what
peril lies in abandoning them,
must stand together in serried ranks.
Whatever the passing issue Of the con-
fict may be, none of them will be