Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-07-31
PARTIES.
The Democrats Opposed by the
kepublicans-The Republic
COntrasted with Centralized
Government.
FROM SENATOR >CoCKRELL's SPEECH AT
MEXICO, MO.

Government.
FROM SENATOR, ,COCKRELLS SPEECH AT
MEXICO, MO.
Senator Cockrell announced. in his
his opening remarks, that he would
speak OF the Democratic party as it
had been in the past, and as it would
exist in the future. Its mission had
always been maintenance of constitu-
tional right. Its principles have been
similar to those, which have been as
serted everywhere, whenever self
government had been attempted. The
Democratic party had encountered
better opposition in its maintenance
of public liberty; but it had main
tanned, and it ever would maintain
the capability of the people of this
country to govern themselves. The
first ten amendments to the constitu-
ton declare in language, that cannot
be mistaken what is true Democratic
policy. These place limitations on
both the general government and the
states. They protect freedom of re-
fgion, speech and the press, and
provide that the powers not granted
to the United States by the constitu-
ton nor prohibited by it to the states,
are reserved to the states respective
ly, or to the people. These amend
ments grew up out of demands for a
centralized government after the eX-
ample of the British government,
which is based upon the divine right
Of rulers, and rests upon the theory
that those clothed with power are
better capable of governing than the
people, and that they have the right
to perpetuate their authority. The
burial of the Prince Napoleon, whose
father was an usurper, offers a recent
illustration of how tenaciously this
doctrine is clung to. Long after the
man, that had upturned the govern
ment of his country had been de-
hroned, the son claimed The divine
right to rule, and crowned heads pay
homage to the mere asserter of the
doctrine, to a greater degree even,
than if he had been an actual mon-
arch.
During the sixty years of its su-
premacy, the Democratic party, up
held by the people, had been assailed
by the old Federal, Whig and Repub-
lican parties. Their principles pre-
vailed up to 1861, when the Republi-
cans came into power. Before that,
the Democratic party had asserted
that the general government possess
ed no authority to create monopolies.
1t overthrow the United States Bank,
and established the treasures, in
to order to keep the public money
from being either wrongfully applied
or stolen. 1t had imposed revenue
tariffs only. 1t had maintained the
supremacy of the civil over the mill
tary authority, and preserved unre-
suit ted and frso FROM ',;l;tor,- ~upe.
vision, the right of election by the
people. 1t had upheld the state gov
ernments in all their rights, and had
supported the Federal Judiciary with
out enlargement of its constitutional
authority and jurisdiction. To meet
the necessities of the people and the
requirements of the organic law, it
had established bi-metalism-perfect
of gold and silver, unlimited
either in coinage or legal tender
power. But the Republican party
true to the anti-Democratic princi-
pies of its forefathers-the Federal
and the Wing parties, after waging
war upon those Demo-
cratic principles has over-ridden,
trampled under foot, and destroyed
them. 1t has abolished the tariff for
revenue only, and given us, in its
place, high protective tariff, to fos.
ter certain branches of industry in its
favored New England section to the
detriment and ruin OF the great agri-
cultural regions of the Mississippi
valley. 1t has created National
Banks, making the favored designat-
ed ones dcpositors of the public
funds, and in effect largely destroy
ing the objects and uses OF the SUBJ
and enabling them to en-
Joy rich profits, to the extent of mil
lions. and to contribute largely to the
corruption of the ballot box, and the
Of Republican misrule.
IT. has destroyed the bi-metallic or
gold and silver standard, deprecated
and demonetized silver, and set up
gold mono-metallism, to enrich the
creditors OF this country, and impov-
erish and enslave the debtor classes,
the rich richer, and the poor
poorer, and depreclating the paying
power of all property. 1t has enact
ed test-oaths for jurors, in all U. S.
courts, at the discretion of judges, or
on motion of District-Attorneys, thus
driving from juries the intelligent
and fair men in eleven
states, and making trials by jury in
them a farce, and disgrace. 1t has
over-ridden the civil with the military
authority, put down state governments
fairly elected, and impaired legal
sanction to the officers, soldiers, and
sailors of the army and navy to ap-
pear at elections, armed and equip
ped, to keep the peace at the
polls, to watch our American
freemen, and make them quiet, order
ly, peaceful and patriotic, to encour-
age them in virtue, and deter them
from vice. BY such acts it has de-
clared the citizens and voters of the
United States incapable of self-gov-
ernment, and incapable on election
days without the presence Of super
visors and marshals of being peace
full and law abiding. In imparting
power to watch voters, it has granted
authority to arrest citizens with or
without warrant, before or after vot-
ing, and deprive them of liberty by
incarceration in guard-houseG, and
to accomplish this the people are tax
ed to pay SIS per day to these officials
for not over ter days each. 1t has
increased the jurisdiction and powers
of the Federal judiciary, taking from
those of the states, powers aud juris-
dictions enjoyed for over half CEN