Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-11-23
WHAT kILLED THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
~ INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER, WITH lIFE-
Long DEMOCRATIC LEANINGs, rfLI> TUE
WHOLE STORY.


WHOLE STORY.
From the Chicago Times.l
The recent Presidential election has
shown that there is an invinciblc reason
why the Democratic party can never win
national victory. Ii is that the youth of
this Republic Is not Democratic. The
sons OF Democratic fathers have grown up
Republicans. SO long Is slavery aud the
war lingcr within the memory OF Amcri-
cans, the youth Of the Republic will con-
,inuc TO grow up Republicans and slavery
and the war will be remembered rs long
n the public school system exists. The
public schools have slain the Democratic
party with the textbooks.
II i vain for statesmen 20 declare that
there were a. many Democrats a Repub-
licans in the Union Army. II Is vain 10
affirm that the war for the preservation OF
the Union could not have been carried TO
a successful close without the assistance
OF the Democratic party IL is idle for
philanthropy to suggest that the attitude
OF that party toward the war IN the begin
ming was humane one; that II was in-
spired nv the higher and better wish that
the cause OF the conflict should be peace
ably removed, and the spllling OF brothers
blood by brothers hands avoided. The
Democratic party has been ideally identi-
fed with slavery and slavcholdiug. The
Republican party Is ideally Identified with
emancipation and the war. Therefore X
the youth OF the country incapable OF being
democratic Therefore the Democratic
party can never win n national victory.
it, old men are dying away. The boys
l.. has fall hair
stiffencd hands are Republicans.
This fact cannot be denied. 1t will do
no good to quarrel with il. All other
causes which have operated TO diminish
the number OF Democrats and Increase the
number OF Republicans are Insignificant be
sides this one tremendous and invincible
fact. The curse of slavery has poisoned
the blood and rotted the bone ofthe Demo
cratic party. The malediction OF the war
has palsied it, brain.
The Young wife who held the babe up 10
kiss the father As he hurried 10 the tap OF
hi> departing regiment has not sucked q
Democrat. The weary foot of the gray
grandmother who watched the children
while the wife was busy, has not rocked
the cradle of Democrats. The chair that
the >oldicr-iathcr never came back 10 hll
has not been climbed into by Democrats.
The old blue coat that his comrades car
ried back was cut up for little jackets, but
not Que inclosed the heart OF Democrat.
The ratified muskct that fell from him with
his last shot became the thoughtless toy
OF his boy; bat not hand that played with
IL was the hand OF u Democrat. The babe
he kissed Crowed aud Crowed for his re-
turn. but its unwilling and unanswered
notes were not from the throat OF a Demo
crat. The tear-soiled camp letters which
the mother read aloud in the long, bitter
evenings while the boys clustered at her
knees did not fall upon Democratic ears.
The girls sobs. blending with the mothers
weeping, did not make Democrats OF their
brothers Perhaps the father has been
Democrat all his life
The children 20 10 school. The first
reader contains portrait OF Abraham Lin
co,p-,hat kind and sturdy face never made
Democrat. On its simple pages, In
words OF one and two syllables, Is told the
story OF his birth and death. That story
never made Democrat. In the pranks
of the playground the name silences the
frolicsOme and makes the iolliest grave.
That name never made a Democrat. In
the pictures that light up the geography
are the firing on Fort Sumter aud the death
of Ellsworth. These pictures make no
Democrats The first page OF the history
contains representation OF the surrender
OF Lee AZ AppomattoN. No boy gazes on
that and ever after avows himself Demo
crat.
In the higher grades the same subtle and
unresisted influence Is at work. The text
books contain extracts from patriots
speeches during the war. Those speeches
make no Democrats. The great battles
are briefly described; the narrative has no
Democratic listeners. The strain OF the
martial music runs through the readers,
and that music makes no Democrats.
Sketches of the generals are given; their
brave deeds arouse the enthusiasm of the
lads, but there is no Democrat among them.
The horrors and sutierings OF the slaves
are told the madened blood that mounts
the BOYS cheeks is not Democratic blood.
The curse OF slavery has pursued the
Democratic party, and has bounded IL 10
its death. Therefore, let II die; aud no
lip will be found 10 say prayer over the
grass on its grave.
The late defeat need not be attributed TO
any other cause. Other causes were at
workout they were only incidental. The
tariff Was one. Sectionalism was second.
..Let well enough alone was third.
The October failure in Indiana fourth.
But all these were trivial, and together
could not have accomplished the result.
The result was accompli shed because the
youth OF the Republic is not Democratic.
That party is, therefore, without hope.
The malediction OF the war has palsied its
brain The curse of slavery has poisoned
its blood and rotted its bone. Let it die.
II. =.