The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-08-05
A FIERCE INDICTMENT.
The Democracy Historically and
Legally Considered by Emery I
A. StOrrS.
Its Discreiiitable Record for the Past
Twenty Years.


Its Discreiiitable Record for the Past
Twenty Years.
Five times from and including 1860 has the
Democratic party of the nation appealed to the
people of the nation for an approval of its pol
icy in the past its position in the then present,
and for confidence in its future. Five times
since and including 1860 have the people of the
country turned deaf ear to these up calls, and
repudiated and rejected it's protestations Of 10y
atty and patriotism and that the.people of the
country in thus rejecting the appeals of the
Democratic party in the past have made no
mistake is now SO clear that no ordinarily in
tellisent Democrat, who will carefully examine
the situation and honestly speak his sentiments,
can say that the people have not acted wisely.
Since 1861 in 1864, again in great election in
1866, in 1868, 1872, in 1876, and again in the
elections in 1877, has the Republican party
been Endorsed by the people of the country In
1881 these two great political organizations
again come to the people and again solicit the
confidence of that people. Is there, my fellow
have Endorsed in the past should be to-day re-
versed? Has Democratic party met with
such change in it's practice, in its principles, or
In it's membership, as should lead us to-day
to give to it that confidence which for the
years past have refused to extend to it =?
Has the Republican party done anything which
will justify us in withdrawing from it the con-
fdence which we have 80 repeatedly reposed in
1T? These are very grave and serious ques-
tons, and we must answer them.
The duty of the citizen to attach himself to
one OF these two great political organizations is
too manifest to require comment. No man is
so great as to be above politics no man is so
small as to be beneath the injurious effects and
consequences Of bad government.
I have no sympathy for those highly distin-
guished men who declare, as if they were de-
claring virtue, that they have no interest in
politics. 1t they are telling the truth when
they make such statements they are unworthy
citizens Of great country, whose greatest merit
IS that it is sef-governed. In making the Sc
lection as to what party we shall attach our
selves we must not expect that every little whim
of caprice shall be gratihed nor must we ex-
pect from parties moro than we do from indi-
viduals-absolute perfection.
We must weigh these parties, comparing them
with each other as whole, and if on the whole
we believe, as I thoroughly believe, that the
general interests of this country, it's freedom
its prosperity, and the protection Of it's citizen
in the enjoyment of all his civil and political
privileges will be bost promoted by the con-
tlnued success and supremacy of the Repubi-
can party, then, whatever smaller flaws we may
lind in its management or in its methods, az
patriotic citizens to that party must VIC attach
ourselves and to it must we give our allegiance.
1t IS not singular when we consider its his
tory that the leaders of the Democratic party
are anxious to invent new issues and to with
draw public attention from their record and
their history. Ever since the war closed they
have been loudly protesting that certain things
are past, and that, therefore, certain portions
OF their career must be eliminated from politi-
cal discussion. We have been constantly as
sllred that the war is ended; that the constitrl-
tional amendments have been adopted that
measures or reconstruction have been fixed
and settled that the States have been restored
to their former relations with the Union, and
that those issues, therefore, are dead issues,
and that it il idle to waste time in their discus
sion. 10 q certain extent this is true. The
actual contests of armed men in the field have
closed the war between freedom and slavery,
between State sovereignty and national unity
which was thus waged is ended. The Thir-
tcenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth constitutional
amendments have been adopted; certain legis-
lation appropriate to the enforcement of these
amendments has been made but that after
all, has not removed from the field of political
debate the character Of these two great parties.
The character of man who seeks public trust
and confidence or private employment is al
ways in issue. A past larceny or any other
past piece of scoundrelism, although, in one
sense, it ma be dead issue and although the
party guilty of it may have suffered his legal
penalties for it, is an issue whenever he calls
for employment, public OF private. If in its
past history the Democratic party has steadily
and continuously been politically dishonest and
dangerous, that fact is an exceedingly essential
one to DO known. If it has steadily violated it's
never made worthy promise which it has
kept, these facts arc exceedingly pertinent
when it comes before the people making new
promises and seeking to enter into new obi
cations in determining just how far We shall
rely upon these promises and accept these
III saying that the Democratic party has never
made an engagement in which the interests of
freedom We're involved, which looked to the
protection of the rights of the citizen, that it
has kept. l think am entirely safe in saying
that every revolutionary scheme which has
dlscredited and disgraced our politics within
tho last twenty-five years has been fathered
ny the Democratic party. I think no man will
dispute the proposition that it is great uni
versity in which all the political heresies which
have endangered the perpetuity of our free in
situations have been taught for the last quar-
university who have graduated as officers in
the Democratic ranks have been in the main
men whose policy and whose practice has been
dangerous to the best interests of the country
tniik am entlrelV safe In Saylng-lndeed,
Know am-that we cannot point to ono single
great achievement in our history since 1856
from which freedom here and elsewhere has de-
rived the slightest comfort, from which civil
liberty has been advanced, through which the
political equality of the citizen has been estab-
hshed or maintained, that has had the slight
est assistance from the Democratic party. l
know | am safe in saying that no great measure
OF that kind can be found il, our fundamental
law or upon our statute-books to-day which that
party has not bitterly, steadily and Indignantly
opposed. This is fearful charge to make
against any political organization, but the most
fearful character of the charge is that it is true.
mat party has opposed every measure since
1866 which looked to freedom !; it has favored
every measure which looked to the degradation
and servility of labor. l have seen no evidence
OF change of heart in the members of that
party. Its principles are to-day the same that
they were in 1861 in the main. 1t has advo-
Gated no policy which, if adopted, would not
have been destructive and, at any of the peri
eds which have named, had the people of this
country approved, by the election Of the cand-
oates, the course of the Democratic party, the
result would have been disastrous to the last
degree. Had that party succeeded in 1860
Liberty would have been degraded and
dssraced throughout the boundaries of
the Union: Had that party succeed
ea Ill 1861, our army would have been