Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-04-09
TIE DRMOCRAyY REsPUN.si.
M |'III| RTE


The legislative power Of the nation
is now Democratic In both branches,
and tho Democracy must answer to
tho country for tho legislation of the
next two years. For four years past
the Democrats have controlled tho
House only, and thus thcy merely
shared the responsibility OF legislation
with the Senate and the Executive
but now the Democrats can pass or
defeat any measure as they sbaN So-
eide, and the responsibility is squarely
on their shoulders. True, the Presi.
dent has the veto and the appointing
power, but he will not veto rashly, nor
is hc likely to veto to serve violent
partisan ends, and If the country shall
be convulsed and It's business paralyzed
afresh and its peace disturbed, there
can be no divided accountability TO tho
people. The Democrats have tho field
they are to select the seed they SOW,
and as they SOW they will be certain
to reap.
1t would DO we'll fol the Democratic
leaders to take their latitudecarefully at
the outset, They are not in power
to-day because tho people love them
more, but bccaLsc they love demoral-
lied Republicanism less. Democracy
has boen taken as an emetic by u sick
Republicanism, and It is largely dis
trusted by thoeo who aid il TO power.
Tho nation is soundly Republican to-
day, as 1t has been from the hour that
secession appealed to the sword, and
Democrats have been recalled to tho
authority from which the nation dis.
placed them because Repubicanism
became faithlcss to itself Half the
present Democratic Senators and Rep
rensentativcs from the South owe their
seats to tho corrupt and pronigate Re
publican rule that reconstruction gave
their section, and that was most un-
wisely sustained in its dcbauchery by
Republican administrations; and Con-
necticut, New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana are
debatable to-day, and at times elect
Democratic tickets, solely because Re-
publican power has degenerated into
the struggles of mean ambition and
greed. 1t was Republican perfdy and
not Democratic patriotism that en-
trusted the Democratic party with the
power 10 lcgislate for the country, and
it will be held to the sternest ac-
countability for every short coming.
Unless all signs are at fault, Presi-
dent Hayes means to meet the Demo
cratic Congress on high patriotic
grounds. 1t is authoritativcly declar-
ed that he discards the revolutionary
counsels Of the Chambers and the
Garfelds of the party, and that he will
sanction all proper measures looking
to justice to all parties and all sec
tions. Unless he is misunderstood on
this issue, there can be no serious an
tagonlsm between tho executive and
the legislative branches Of the gov
ernmcnt, unless it shall be wontonly
provoked by the Democratic leaders /;
and if it shall be so provoked, the
country will seize the earliest possible
opportunity to restore Republicanism
to the supremacy it has lost. There
are plenty Of revolutionists among the
Republican leaders, and they will make
exhaustive efforts to force the majority
party into violent positions They will
sacrifice the business and peace Of the
country any hour if thereby they can
provoke Democracy to commit politi-
cal suicide by accepting a renewed
sectional strife. They will do it be-
cause II is the short cut TO Republi-
can restoration, and rs they have no
responsibility, as party, to the coun-
try for the actions Of the present Con.
gress, they can play the reckless parti-
san with comparative impunity. If
1t was mere contest between parties
it would be of little consequence to the
country, whether or not Republican
demagogues succeed in making Dem
ocratic fools defeat themselves but
when the long prostrated and yet most
sensitive business interest of the coun-
try must be advanced or retarded in
prosperity by harmony or strife in
Washington, 1t IS matter Of supreme
moment to the whole country that
Democratic power shall be wisely and
patriotically exercised.
Speaker Randall gratefully remem-
bered by the better class of oil parties
for his manly stand in support of law
and right when the judgment of the
Electoral Commission was about to be
entered, and hc can now perform an
equally important service to the coun-
try by taking the highest grounds in
favor of harmony with the President
on the issues which demand immediate
consideration. 1t is known that Pres.
idcnt Hayes will gladly approve bill
restoring the Southern Courts TO JUS
tice by the repeal Of the test oath for
jurors, and that he will as willingly
approve bill repeating tho unconsti-
tutional statute authorizing the use Of
Federal troops at elections. 1t is
known, also, that he will not approve
q bill Internationally repeating the
, Federal election laws and he who as.