Helena weekly herald., 1880-09-16

To the Editor of the Herald:
The sole refrain of Democratic speakers
and Democratic editors in the present cam
paign is fraud. They have dropped all po-
litical and economic issues that are vital to the
present and future Of the country, and have
united in vigorous wall over the result of
the campaign of 1875.
They have uttered this cry 80 often that
many of them really believe the party was
victimized and themselves deprived of Office
and power through Republican duplicity,
notwithstanding it was from themselves that
emanated the scheme of the electoral COM
mission, and themselves who strove to i'm
plant in the hearts of the masses of their fol-
lowers respect for and acquiescence in its de-
cision, but who have bitterly attacked and at
tempted to destroy this respect and acquies-
cence since the decision was rendered against
them. -;
In their exposition of the electoral scheme
they we're false, as. .always-false to the
country, false to themselves and false to the
man who carriedtheir standard. By pre-
tended reverence eor the methods of peace,
| and respect for order, they threw themselves
upon the country as lovers of the one and de-
tenders of the other simply to gain the con-
fdence of the country-a mask which they
threw aside Immediately when their martyr
dom had proven Dead Sea fruit.
If they were%so grievously imposed upon,
and if their leader Mr.. Tilden, was despoiled
and defrauded by the commission and the
Republican party, why did these Democrats
and this Democratic party, which for four
years have been weeping over his martyrdom,
80 mercilessly and contemptuously throw him
aside when they would again appeal to the
country to support them and their cause
lost to them, they claim, by fraud four years
ago. And why do they appeal for sympa-
thy from the American people in behalf OF
this very man upon whom they have them
selves set the stamp of neglect, and contempt,
and-fraud. And why do they charge fraud
upon the electoral commission when the
South Carolina returning board, with the free
concurrence of Wade Hampton, declared the
electoral vote of that State for MIR. Hayes.
The Democratic party is held together by
lust for Office by it's partizans in the North,
and by the hope of revenge by its legions in
the South, and every protestation of depart
ure from these two propositions is Demo-
cratic lie. Their cry of stop thief, fraud,
blinded, possibly, some Republicans whose
faith in the Democratic party had survived
the Democratic lease of power, but the hol-
lowness of their methods has long since un-
deceived them, and the BGtian head OF their
newly chosen leader can not hide the animus
of their Intentions.
The Democrats threw overheard Mr. Til
den because his methods had exposed the
corruption in their party. and they chose
Union general for their standard-bearer be-
cause their rotten and hollow record requires
leader whose only claim for support is that
he is without one.
The Democratic party has successfully
espoused every political element from which
it conceived it might derive support, and has
successfully betrayed them all. 1t egged on
the South to secede, knowing that secession
would entail all the horrors of civil war,
and then deserted it, leaving it single
handed to compete with the more powerful
North. It carried on its banner in 1864 the
declaration that the war was failure, aud
now it takes upon itself the sole credit OF
having put down the rebellion and OF saving
the unity of the nation. 1t took up the cause
!; of reputation and fought for it so long as 1t
represented degree of strength, now it takes
as its own the credit of resumption. 1t made
capital from the commercial disasters OF the
nation. and now accredits itself as the cause
!: of its prosperity. 1t championed the work
ingmen in the North and browbeat and per-
secuted them in the South. 1t has preached
peace on earth, and argued for the power of
law, and then by obstructive and revolution
ary measures hardly paralleled in parliamen-
tiary history, endeavored to destroy the first
and disarm the second. 1t wept when the
result of Gettysburg rolled back the tide OF
defeat which had nearly overwhelmed us,
and now they exalt one of its generals as its
standard bearer and go before the country
as its savior. 1t cried "C@sarism,' "mili-
litary despotism," and imam on horseback
while Grant was President, and now they
would elevate martinez to the supreme dig
nifty.
But the cry Of fraud will deceive no one,
for the party, built up on traditions not ap'
plicable to our present life, and standing now
on platform of dead issues, {" is not so
much liar as it is lie" and its mutterings
will fall as harmless on the ear OF the pubic
| ...xr o,uovs hovo H. w.