Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-19
why the Democratic Party Cannot be
6ucceasfuI.

Iron the Chicago Times, Ind. Democ7Atie.l
The recent Presidential election has shown
that there is an invincible reason why the
Democratic party can never win a national
victory. 1t is that the youth of this republic
is not Democratic. The sons of Democratic
fathers have grown up Republicans.
So long as slavery and the war linger with
i'll the memory of Americans, the youth OF
the republic will continue to grow up Repub-
licans and slavery and the war will be re-
membered as long as the public school sys-
ten exists. The public schools have slain
the Democratic party with the textbooks.
1t is vain for statesmen TO declare that
there were IA many Democrats as Repub.
licans in the Union army. 1t is vain to Of
firm that the war for the preservation of the
Union could have been carried to a success
full close without the assistance of the Demo
cratic party. II is idle for philanthropy to
suggest that the attitude Of that party toward
the war in the beginning was humane one
that it was inspired by the higher and better
wish that the cause of the conflict should be
peaceably removed and the splitting of broth
ers' blood by brothers hands avoided. The
Democratic party has been ideally identified
with slavery and slaveholding The Repub-
lcan party is ideally identified with enamel
patton and the war. Therefore is the youth
Of the country incapable Of being Democratic.
Therefore the Democratic party can never
win a national victory. It's old men are dy-
ing away. The boys who catch the ballots
that fall from their stiTened hands are Re
publicans.
This fact cannot be denied. 1t will do no
good to quarrel with it. All other causes
which have operated TO diminish the number
Of Democrats and increase the number of
Republicans are insignificant beside this one
tremendous and invincible fact. The curse
of slavery has poisoned the blood and rotted
the bone of the Democratic party. The NAL
ediction OF the war has pAlsied it's brain.
The young wife who held the babe up 10
kiss the father AZ he hurried TO the tap of his
departing regiment has not sucked Demo-
orat. The weary foot of the gray grand
mother who watched the children while the
wife was busy has not rocked the cradle of
Democrats The chair that the soldier father
never came back to fill has not been climbed
upon by Democrats. The old blue coat that
his comrades carried back was cut up for lit
tie jackets, but not one inclosed the heart of
a Democrat. The ratified musket that fell
| from him with his last shot became the
thoughtless toy Of his boys; but not hand
| that played with it was the hand Of a Demo
| crat The babe he kissed crowed and crowed
for his return and its unwilling and unan-
swered notes were not from the throat of a
Democrat. The tear-soiled camp letters
which the mother read aloud in the long bit
ter evenings while the boys clustered at her
| knees did not fall upon Democratic ears. The
| girls sobs, blending with the mothers weep
ing did not make Democrats of their broth
| ers. Perhaps the father had been Demo
| crat all his life
The children go to school. There is not a
| Democrat on its benches. The first reader
contains portrait OF Abraham Lincoln-that
| kind and sturdy face never madeR Democrat.
| On its simple pages, in words OF one or two
| syllables, is told the story of his birth and
| death That story never made a Democrat
In the pranks of the playground the name ST.
| lences the froliesome and makes the jolliest
| grave That name never made Democrat.
In the pictures that light up the geography
are the firing on Fort Sumter and the death
of Ellsworth, Those pictures make no Dem
ocrats. The first page Of the history con-
tains a representation of the surrender of Lee
at Appomattox. No boy gazes on that and
ever after avows himself Democrat
In the higher grades the same subtle and
unresisted influence is at work The text
books contain extracts from patriots speech
| es during the war. Those speeches make no
Democrats The great battles are briefly de-
scribed The narrative has no Democratic
listeners The strain of martial music runs
through the readers, and that music makes
no Democrats. Sketches of the great gener-
ais are given their brave deeds arouse the
enthusiasm of the lads, but there is no Dem
ocrat among them. The horrors and suffer
ings of the slaves are told the maddened
blood that mounts the boys cheeks is not
Democratic blood. The curse of slavery has
pursued the Democratic party, and has
bounded it to its death. Therefore, let il