New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-09-23
SUPPOSE

The Democratic party asks to be trusted
with power. Not with the partial control
which goes with the majority in both branches
of Congress, and which one might suppose
would be all that a party lately i'll armed re-
bellion would have the effrOntery to ask. This
they have already, but 1t does not satisfy
them. They want absolute control-posses-
sion of all departments of the Government. 1t
is well to remember this. Whoever distrusts
both parties, and would have each act as a
check upon the other, should consider the cir
cumstance that the Senate is now Democratic
and that Republican success in this election
cannot change it, while Democratic success
means the surrender OF the whole Government
and leaves no check anywhere upon the dom
inant party. Is this a wise or safe thing to
dol Let us see. They come to us with an APP
peal to their record. and pledging them
selves anew in the first article of their
creed to their ancient doctrines and traditions
Let us try them by that test They have
been asserting their profOunder patriotism and
superior craftsmanship, and thereon demand
ing possession of the Government. for twenty
years. In these twenty years they have sew
eral times told us what they would do if they
had the power.
Suppose that upon one of these occasions
they had been trusted - what would have
been the condition of the country to-dayf
Would it have been better or worse of than
under the Republican administration which
they have so persistently opposedi This is as
fair a test as could be made, and we are in
vited to it by their appeal to the record.
Suppose, then, that the Democratic party
had had its will, unOppOsed by a Republican
Congress, from 1854 to 1860. Would the
country have been better or worse off. with
Kansas and Nebraska Slave States, and slavery
made nationalf
Suppose that in 1860 the people of the
North, frightened by the threats OF the South
ern Democracy, had elected Demo-
crat for President. Should we have
been better or worse off with the new Terri
tories given to slavery, freedom crowded into
a corner, the slave block in Washington, slave
drivers in every State, free speech suppressed,
and the whole country under the rule of a
slave Olgarchy2
Suppose we had assented to the Democratic
construction of the Constitution that State
could not be coerced; or that sovereign
State could not be invaded or that slaves
escaping from the enemy cOuld not be
enlisted, employed or even harbored within
our lines, but must be returned to their mas
tiers or that in the midst of fragrant war
opened upon us by rebels in arms, we should
confess ourselves in the wrong and sue for
peace Should we have been better or worse
off had the Democratic party had its way on
any or all these Issues 7
Suppose that in 1864, when the rebellion
had barely twelve months left of life, we had
assented TO the Democratic proposition that
the war was failure, and brought that party
into power to make peace Should we have
been better or worse Off with broken Union
and divided cOuntryP
Suppose we had adopted the Democratic
plan in 1858 of paying the National debt III
ereenbacks. Would our credit be better or
worse for it to-day
Suppose the people had credited the asser-
ton OF the Democrats in 1876 that the Re-
sumption Act was Il hiDdrance to resumption,
and on the strength of 1t gwen them the
power TO repeal it unrestrained by the Exec
utlve veto. What would have been the effect