Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-03-03

II
what has the democratic party done
to commend itself to public favor?
If our esteemed neighbor of the
Tribune knows, we will thank him
to point it out. In 1868 the national
democratic party, Git be not, an. abs
surdity 20 apply the word national
in speaking of such combination
of incongruous material, planted
itself firmly upon this platform
aThis is-a white mans government
and negroes have no rights that
white man is bound to respect"
They were opposed to hard money
and bonds and in favor of paying
off the national debt with green
backs g, IN 1872 they nominated as
their standard bearer the great
apostle Of abohtionism, Horace
Greeley, p man who had dis
tinguished himself and gained
prominence wholly by his life, long
and bitter antagonism to every
principle of the democratic party.
He was an extreme aboiitienist. a.
high tariff man, hard money man
and temperance man, and had
never voted for a democrat for a
political Office. In 1876 they dee
nounced specie resumption, adopted
platform which thoughtful men
knew was a hollow mookery, full of
hypocritical professions in favor Of
reform, and placed upon it Samuel
]. Tilden, who is the living per-
sonifcation of everything that is
corrupt, .knavish, and deceitful in
politics. ~ Not only this, but in three
or four states in the south the PEG,
pie were forced at the muzzle of the
shot gun and derringer to vote for
him.
In view of the fact that major
Iity of the persons who now vote
and read newspapers, have been
living since the year 1861, the time
at which our neighbor first
sspoused the cause of de-
mocracy, theaacts of the party hay
ing come under their personal OBJ
servation, it does seem to us that it
requires an immense amount of
cheek on his part, to be asking for
reasons why the democratic party
can not be trusted. Notwithstand-
ng he tries to appear dignifed,
and to preserve his gravity, we are
strongly tempted to suspect that he
5 joking. He opposed the democ=
'acy represented by Cass, Calhoun,
Pierce, Polk, Buchanan, Marcy,
Douglass, Andrew Johnson, Aaron
Y, Brown, and their .compeers, but
trusts that of VOORHEES,, Sam. Rams
dali, Pendleton, Beck, Blackburn,
Harris, Proctor Knott, Tilden,
Bayard, Butler, Hampton, and the
thousand and one others,
"Black spirits and white,
Bluespirits and grey"
that are mixed and mingled to-
gether, making the most inconceiv-
able mass Of Inconsistent material
that was ever thrown together in q
political Organization. And, yet, he
has the cheek to ask US for reason
why this organization which he
opposed in its better j days, this
mass Of incongruous elements, this
party without a fixed policy on any
great question, and without any
fixed principles, should not be
trusted. ilgS ESQ AS5lE-2
9 We say to our esteemed neighbor,
You have forsaken the old paths.
Sir, you have torn down the land
marks of your fathers You were
once right, but you have, gone
astray. Return to your first love,
and you may become yirtuous and
happy. We know you are Cropping
in darkness, and treading d broad
road in which your feet we're not
made to walk. II you will only let
in the light, which we, by the aid
of your common sense, are trying
to throw into the dark political at
mosphere in which you now live,
your eyes will be opened, and you
will & join the party to which you
naturally belong-the party of
peace, progress and permanent
prosperity 210 . g]0iF9d p