Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-11
WHY SHOULD DEMOCRACY sUOCEED9

| should succeed in 1880 are so many and
so strong tLat they are self evident to
intelligent and unbiased observers, still
1t is we'll, occasionally, to think of them.
First, standing out in bold relief, fill
ing the political horizon almost to the
exclusion of all other objects, rises the
colossal fraud against the liberties OF
the people, perpetrated in the name of
state rights by a party which denounces
state rights as a heresY, and is doing its
best TO concentrate all power in the ma
tIonal government. 1t does not even
need to be named that it may be known.
1t is the rape OF the presidency. When,
as Charles Francis Adams said. a man
was placed in the executive chair OF the
country "who must forever carry upon
his brow the stamp Of fraud first trium-
plant in American history" The
country owes it to itself to right that
wrong. and it will do it. The argument
that Mr.. Hayes has done more for the
south than MIR. Tilden could have done,
goes for naught. 1t is not true; but for
arguments sake, grant it. The words
OF Mr.. Adams, in his terrible arraign-
ment, again rise as an answer-''No
subsequent action, however meritorious,
can wash away the letters of that rec
ord" Nor can they. There are, to day.
thousands OF Independent voters in every
state Of the union who will vote for any
respectable democratic candidate in or
der to rebuke b revolutionary theft
of 1876.
The democratic party must succeed
because it is in the interest of civil SER
vice reform and economy that 1t should.
The books of the nation need overhaul
ing. Discrepancies amounting to mil
lions OF dollars have been discovered,
and remain unexplained and unexplain-
able. Mr.. Hayes, at the outset of his
career. promised administrative reform.
One step in this direction was his order
that federal office holders should keep
themselves aloof from active participa-
ton In partisan politics. The order
and his subsequent %utterances were a
hollow mockery. He and half his cab
met have been neglecting their official
duties this fall to make stump speeches
in behalf OF the republican party. An
other promise of reform was the remov-
al of Mr.. Cornell from the New York
custom house, because he was an unfit
public servant. Now we have the spec
tacle of Mr.. Sherman writing q letter to
a New York ~oficeholder, encouraging
him to neglect his duties and enter upon
a political campaign in favor of the
man who has been declared by himself
and Mr.. Hayes to be unfit to hold an Of
flee inferior to the one he now seeks.
Economy in public expenditure demands
that democracy shall succeed. Very
few persons realize the immense cost
that the republican party has been to the
country. The highest point that gov
to the late war, was in 1859, when they
we're $50, 678,6 42. The whole cost OF
administering the government from the
beginning OF W~ashington's term to the
close of Buchanan's term was So, $780, |
962, 1884. This sum includes the expen-
ses of the Seminole war, the Louisiana
purchase, the wal of 1912, and the war
with Mexico. which resulted in the &C.
QUESTION OF Texas and New Mexico. 1t
covers the entire federal expenses for a
period of seventy-two years-the aver
age amour being, In round numbers.
only $50. 900, 900. Compare this with
the figures under republican rule. Take
the eleven years after the war. years of
peace and republican supremacy and see
what it cost to conduct the government.
The amount expended during that time,
as shown by the official report of the fed
eral treasury. was 81, SOC, OOO, OOO-more
than twice as much as it had cost to con-
duct the government from its birth to
the day the republican party took con-
troll of it in 1861. Four and q half
billions of dollars! Just think of 1t
$4O9, 900, 900 per annum. In the or di.
nary expenses of the government,
leaving out of consideration everything
incident to the war, the comparison
is similar to the one made above +;
and the struggle which the first demo-
cratic house had with the republican de-
partments and members of congress to
effect a saving OF $50. 600. 900 in appro-
priations, is, or should be, familiar to all
our readers.
The democratic party should succeed
because it is the only national party. In
other words the republican party is a
sectional party, which is e~ndeavoring to
educate one-half of the country to hate
the other hall. Its best talent. in news
papers and politicians, for partisan pur-
poses, prostitutes itself to misrep-
resentation and viliication of one Sec
ton. in order to array against 1t another,
which IS richer and more powerful, but
not more intelligent or virtuous.
The democratic party should succeed
because it is the party of the constitu-
ton, the party of free and fair elections,
and the party of the people. The re-
publican party desires to pe~rpetuate
upon the statute books laws which are
subversive of civil liberty; laws by
which the party in power may perpetu-
ate itself by the use of soldiers and dep
uty marshals at the polls. 1t is also the
party of consolidated wealth as against
the common people-the party of the
great corporations as against the indi-
vidual voters and workers. 1t favors a
protective policy which robs the many
tor the benefit Of the few, and is the most
insldious of all kinds of communism.
II desires to wipe out state lines. and OBJ
litel ate state rights. On the other hand
the democratic party is opposed to dep
uty marshals and soldiers at the polls,
and in favor of fair and FREQ elections.
1t is in favor OF restricting the powers
OF corporations. 1t is In favor of 80
managing the national debt as to make
it least oppressive to the people