The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-09-02

tnelT lmucuIdte hlOer8 duu uDettOfS tn8I nave
fallen under popular condemnation; but ut
tho approaching September election every
citizen of Maine is called upon to vote his aP-
fort to poison the source of popular power
and to destroy the principle Of popular cleo
vote for Governor Davis will everywhere be
taken as a condemnation of the fraud.
Short Of Capital. 'rs
Any one who takes the trouble to
recall the aggressive canvass which
the Democracy made four years ago
and compare it with the languid and
non-committal character of the pro-
ceedings of the party at the present
time will discover striking and sig
nificant contrast. Several State Con-
ventions have been held recently and
there are more to come, but thus far
they seem to have been pervaded by
o depressing consciousness of q lack
Of working capital. They commend
the nominations of the National Con-
vention as a matter of course, and
they accept and '' reaffirm'' its platform
without troubling themselves with
specifications. Beyond that it is ex-
tremcIy difficult for them to find any
thing to say. While not fully realiz-
ing that in their choice of candidate
they have gone back to 1868. they are
depressed and embarrassed by the fact
that it represents no living question
and affords them no grounds on which
to make a fight. -. . ..-
In 1876 the National and State plat
forms bristled with declarations about
reform in administration. They made
much of charges and scandals, real
and assumed, in regard to the conduct
of National affairs. There had been,
so they claimed, corruption and ex-
travagancc in the public service, and
they : demanded honesty and econ
omy in the loudest of tones. The
civil-service had become degrad-
ed, and they called for a re-
turn to what they prepOsterously termed
the Democratic test of fitness, capacity
and integrity in public office; They
charged that the officers of the Govern
ment were employed to promote the
interests of political party, and de-
clared that civil-service reform was the
imperative need of the hour. We were
then in tho midst of financial depres-
sion, and they fairly reveled in the mis-
cry of the country, which they attrib-
uted to maladministration, extravagance
and financial mismanagement. The
condition of the country was painted in
the gloomicst colors and explained as q
consequence of what the Republican
party had done and failed to do. 1t is
quite refreshing to 60 over these old
| platforms and note their vigorous de-
/ nunciations, their positive declarations.
and their glowing promises. They
were, indeed, somewhat vague and va.
rious in their utterances regarding the
currency, but there was substantial
agreement that the Republican party
had produced disaster by abandoning
the specie basis and intensified it by
endeavoring to get back. Resumption
must be effected, but the Resumption
act was an obstruction and must be re
1 Pealed.
The Democracy then had a surplus o
political capital. Abuses and corrup
lions, real and alleged, were excellen
stock to work upon. Industrial de
preston was good for thousands o
votes, and general dissatisfaction ant
discomfort afforded basis for promis
ing calculations, not without plausibil
ity. Reform and retrenchment wa
the cry, and a return to the statesman
ship Of the better days of the Republic
The cry was borrowed from dissatisfied
Republicans and avOwed Independents
but it was none the less effective
Then, too, the Democracy had ,
J candidate whose name meant something
in connection with reform and old-tim'
craftsmanship. There was the furthe
! advantage of no record or responsible
ity for the party in the immediate past
which was fresh in the public mind, an,
its promises were entertained witt
hope, if not with confidence. Now al
this is changed. The present Admins
tration has furnished no scandals for tn
Democrats to make capital of. If
has not been altogether vigorous,
has been on the whole clean and re
spectacle. The bold predictions o
the effects Of the Resumption act hav
; perity under Republican rule ha
against its financial management. Th
capital afforded by the period of de
preston is gone beyond recovery. Civil
service reform has lost its interest TO
. the Democratic mind, retrenchment an
/, economy are no longer words to COZ
, jure with, and to pirate of q restoratio
) of craftsmanship with General Har
| cock for q candidate would be lud
crous. Worse than all, the party hs
: been making q record. For two yeal
it has had control of Congress, and
) very bad use it has made of its opportr
, mites. Its promises no longer excit
hope, to say nothing of confidence, ant
E moreover, the country does not feel tn
: need of them.
: 1t is a sad plight for great polite;
2 party just entering upon a importar
1 National campaign. 1t has no p'
Q litical capital to work with; n
: scandal to deplore, no abuses to d.
4 nounce, no popular discomfort to wor
7 upon, no reform to promise, no reason
: plead for q change, and no way {
s making people believe that it should b
: trusted with the responsibility of gO'
!. ernment. How can it make an aggre.
+ sive canvassP 1t has Major-Gener;
!, to offer for which the country has n
y use in the highest civil position, whel
Q a statesman's peaceful work is to
!. done. It goes back to 1868 for a sol
V tary issue, which had more or less 81.
nificance in connection with the recol
: struction of the rebel States. But r
i construction was done with long ag
g and this poor little issue, on the wron
: side of which it stood in its brief if
s time, is now dead beyond the power ,
Q galvanism to give it a semblance of v
4 tality. The subordination of the mil
J, tary to the civil power is not a questic
t now. The Democratic party comes I'M
q court without case, and all that it CT
!. find to say for itself consists of indi
d criminate abuse of the other side
Y. Times
g 1GrIt is announced by the Dem
q q Gratis that the Republicans have r
d solved on a sectional campaign. IT
honor of originating that kind of a car
y paign belongs to the Democrats. Thu
'r declared their purpose to make it VIII,
I, they claimed the 1873 electoral votes
3 the South solid for their ticket, and Il
e 75, 200 bogus majority in Alabama is Il
y first fruit of the plan. The Repub
. cans have merely accepted the chs