The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-03-28
DEMOCRATIC RETURN TO POWER.
From the New York Times.]


In the session of Congress just OPenea, inc
Democratic PARTY, for the first time in 20
wears. has a majority i'm both houses. Inc
last Congress in which the Democrats held
the same degree of power was the Tn1rty.
fifth, and even at that time their waning IN
fluence had received q severe cheek IN tne
election of Mr.. Banks TO the Speakership OF
the previous House, after struggle iasuns
from the 4th of December to the "a OF Ee0 20,
ruary, and embracing 80 ballOtings. Sill,
the organization of the Democraiics was IN
appearance compact and their numerical
strength great. They had 80 members OF
the Senate, to % Republicans and D Amer.
cans, and l3l members OF the House, 10 y!
Republicans and II Americans. In the next
Congress the Republicans mao regency a - -
the Senate, to the Democrats u ana Ameri-
cans 2, while in the House they had LID, 10
the Democrats 101 and Americans %: AND
of the lOl Democrats, were opposed 10 the
Administration of President buchanan, ana
represented constituencies which soon re-
came Republican. Before the Thirty-siXth
Congress came to an end the Southern Sen,
stors and most of the Representatives had
withdrawn from the capital, and left the
Legislative Department Of the Government
in undisputed possession OF the party wnich
was from that moment to carry 1t through
the terrible trial of civil war and the scarce
ly less severe ordeal Of reconstruction.
The issue on which the Democrats lost the
Government was in form and general out.
line very simple, though as wide as the land
in its application, and involving many ana
complicated results in its settlement. 1t was,
Is slavery or freedom national! and the I'M.
mediate measure as to which the principles
of the opposing parties were asserted was,
Shall Congress prohibit or protect slavery
in the Territories! On that question the
South, seeing the tendency of public opinion
- No..L o,,orubal nipUlv and nerMa.
nently gainst it, rejected the arbitrament
of the ballot and challenged that of civil war.
Although the Democracy for many years
before the war had held professions OF the
Hottest devotion to the Union, its animatlng
spirit was essentially sectional. 1t was TOT
the Union SO long as the South was doml-
nant in the National Government. As
party, its love for the Union broke down the
moment the National Government passed
TITO the hands of its opponents. During
the war, as before and since, it was con-
stantly hampered by its blind attachment to
its Southern leaders, its besotted sympathy
with the powerful section which had
always controlled its counsels and shaped
its course. With the approach OF war, q
noble opportunity was presented to II. HAD
it had the sagacity aud moral courage to re-
pudiate completely the aims and principles
of the South, to let slavery die as the cOnse-
uuence of the crime of its supporters, to
hold up the hands of the Administration in
the most energetic measures for the sup
preston of the rebellion, and ut the same
time to concentrate its force on the task Of
moderating and regulating the policy of the
Republicans, it might have made for itself
an honorable record, and disputed far soon
er than it did the supremacy it had lost and
which it has now partly regalned, by means
not creditable to itself or of advantage TO
the country. The Republicans assumed the
reins of government 1t time OF intense eN-
citemenf, and surrounded by immense per-
ills and difficulties. Its leaders were in great
degree unframed, and its opinions on all,
except the one supreme question OF free
dom and the Union, were uniformed. 1t
plunged almost Immediately into serious err
rOrs. Its fiscal measures were crude, waste
full, and eXtravagant. It's financial measures
were even worse. Its organization OF the
civil service was blind and reckless. Had the
Democrats, skilled as many of their leaders
were, chosen the part of rational and loyal
opposition, they might have at all times
commanded respect; they might not unfre.
auently have won important victories; and
they would certainly have maintained par
ty existence very different from the shame
full and humiliating one which they led fol
the next 10 years. When they finally came
again to have a majority in Congress, they
would have been party OF distinct and
practical principles, capable OF administer,
ing the Government in wholesome anu
conservative and honest fashion.
That they chose an opposite course shows
how true is the judgment that the essential
spirit of the new party was that OF serVitude
to the South, and that once having lost the
guidance of the leaders of that section,
within the Union, they had no sound and
living principles, based on an honest inter-
probation Of the Constitution and a sincere
appreciation of the public interests, to fall
back upon. The justice of this judgment
is still further sustained by the manner In
which they have partly regained power
The Democrats to-day have no positive and
substantial claim to the confidence Of the
country. They owe their return to power
in part to WEAKNESS with the i'll use which
the Republicans have, to some degree, made
of their opportunities, in part to fraud and
violence in the sold South, and, in great
measure, to their most outrageous pander-
ing to the dishonest desires and lSnoran,
prejudices of a portion OF the people
with reference to the finances. There is
not a single principle of sound constitution.
al Interpretation which they are expected
to apply, not 4 single measure OF wise ad.
mnisfration which they are expected to en-
act. Under an entirely illusory and deceit
full profession of extraordinary devotion to
the rights OF the States, it is known tha'
they will not only refrain from depressing,
but will encourage, the attempts OF the
South to wrong the entire country by the
perversion and corruption Of the suffrage.
Under a like pretense, equally known to be
false, they will try to turn the ballot boXes
of the North over to repeaters and fraudu-
lent canvassers, such as were furnished by
Tammany in its palmy days. At the same
time, in fragrant defiance of the principle
they profess, they will try to sustain the
most enormous and dangerous Capitalization
of power i'm the houses of Congress-
simply because these are in theil
hands. With like Inconsistency as to cen.
tralization, and with defiant disregard OF
sound financial principles, they will seek to
make the Federal Government the absolute
and arbitrary possessor Of the power to en-.
rich or impoverish individuals by the con.
troll of the currency. By these two signs
the solid South and the usurpation OF the
power of Federal interference in finance
they have conquered, and by these they
must be guided. 1t will be for the leaders
of the Republican Party to say whether theiI
dangerous tendencies shall be brought to
condemnation before the people, and wheth:
er a wiser, stronger, more honest party shall
check their progress, and give to the coun.
try the substantial blessing of really re-
formed Government.
A CRIME of q most fiendish nature
was recently attempted in Dublin. A