St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-08-20
Is There Any Difference P

ID 1n0r6 any Olu6rence
Mr.. Editor: With your permission
l will give expression through your col
umns to some of my impressions in re-
gard to our political affairs. 1 have
been for many years a somewhat care
full reader of the leading journals of the
times, and have not by any means con-
fined my reading to papers of one shade
of political opinion, as like to see the
best which can be said upon all sides.
l notice that a certain (or rather q some-
what uncertain) class of papers are fond
of asserting since the present campaign
commenced, that now there is really no
difference in the position of the two
great parties, and hence the question
may properly be regarded as simply
one of individual preference between
the different candidates nominated. |
notice also, that the papers which max e
this assertion, are those which have
most vigorously and persistently labor
ed to drag down the Republican party
from the proud position which as a
party it has always occupied, to posi-
ton in which their claim of no differ
ence between the two parties would be
a true one. Believing Justify for re-
form, and talking loftily of giving to
the party a high moral tone, they sys-
tematically and .viciously attack, sneer
at, and seek to tIample under foot all
those ideas the defence of which has ell
evated the Republicans as party
above their antagonists.
These people, if man insists that
freedom of speech, and the liberty of
voting as one chooses in all parts of the
country shall be something more than
"glittering generality" sneeringly re-
fer to him as one who has not yet heard
that the war is over. Any unfavoIable
allusion to Southern outrages is "wav-
ing the bloody Shirt" and the attempt
is made to turn "Stalwart Republican
ism" into a term of reproach, while cod
ding JEFF Davis, and toadying to other
illustriOus patriots who make no secret
of their regret for the failure of the re-
bellion, is held up as noble liberalism,
the adoption of which into the Republi-
can policy would be great step up
,uard.
Between the Republican party, as
the so-called Independents and
Scratchers would haveit, and Democrat
ic there would indeed be little choice,
for both alike would be unworthy .oi
honorable and patriotic men. But the
Republication of Lincoln and of Grant,
which, thank God, the masses of the
party have shown no intention Of aban-
doning, but have resisted more or less
resolutely every impulse, from whatev-
or source to do so, is a very different
article, and between that and the De-
mocracy which pronounced the war fol-
the Union failure, and did its best to
make it SO, and which now although
using a Union General as figure-head,
hoping thereby to entice enough true
men into its ranks to enable its leaders
to grasp the reins of power, is as every
body knows controlled by the South
and managed by the same men who
managed the rebellion and entirely sub.
servient to their ideas, there is world
wide difference.
The Republican party not only by
its platforms, but by all its past record
stands committed to the doctrine o
equal rights for all in every part of the
Union. 1t asks nothing of the Soutf
which it does not equally demand of the
North. 1t has sought to guard agains
fraud, or intimidation by the appoint
ment of federal supervisors of elections
and in all its measures has aimed a
making it a difficult and dangerous
thing to defeat free and fair expires
sion of the will of the people of any
class or any section.
On the other hand, every sane maj
knows that the certainty of a perfect.
free and fair election would destroy the
last shadow of hope for a triumph of the
Democratic party, since the solid Soutf
on which they so confidently count, and
which is essential to any possibility O
such result, has only been made anG
kept solid by vigorous application O.
the "shot-gun policy" Several of these
states have men to-day occupying the
positions of Governor, and of Legislator
whose only claim to those positions ii
that they were able by force to seizt
them, and the only reason why the stat,
of Maine is not now under Democrat,
control, is that the state is 80 heavily
loaded with brains, well backed up by
true Yankee pluck, that it was found tt
be a larger job than had been supposed
to carry it off. For once, to use some
what homely but significant saying
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