The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-11-11
SHALL WE DISBANDi

This is question which almost every
democrat in the United States has asked
himself within the last week. Are pref
udice and Misrepresentation SO strong as
to drive out of existence party called
into being by opposition TO monarchical
tendencies? Is popular clamor always to
hold reason in subjectionf While still
developed in the shadow of defeat We are
more apt to shed the tears of detection
than form the resolutions of fortitude.
The people have fed from democracy,
and abandoned principles for specious
cry. For long years VIC have had crowns
OF cypress while our opponents wore
wreaths of laurel. As party we have
drank deep of affection and sounded the
depths of adversely. And whyl 1t would
be easy to abandon principle and mag
nanimity and win the shouts of the pop
u!ace by denouncing our sister people u
the south. We could as patriotism goes,
earn the need OF patriotic virtue by
clinging fondly to the memories OF the
dead past by singing the praises of men
whose deeds belong to history and by
painting imaginary dangers which We
were earnestly lsboring to avert. As
loyalty goes, we could place ours beyond
dispute by afr ming that the southern
states after being laid PROSTATE by An
exhaustive war, were the legitimate prey
of harpics from the north. That the
debts into which the states were plunged
to crafty the avarice of adventurers who
had no further interest In these states
than their lust for riches dictated, were an
evidence of the patriotism of these men.
That the southern people in driving off
these vampires and saving the remnant
of their property from coniscation were
guilty of grievous offense against soci-
ETY. and striking at the life of the nation.
That the people of the south when refus-
ing to surrender the right, guaranteed by
law, humanity and justice, of exercising
their own discretion at the ballot box
and thereby repudiating, not the party
which defeated them on the field of bat
tie, but the party that stood behind the
men who sapped the life blood of the
community and perverted justice to pro-
tract their sway that these poor people in
these acts, so necessary to self preserva-
tion, were seeking to regain by the ballot
box what they lost on the field. We ap-
peal to any mau of magnanimity, whose
hear. is capable OF pity for the suffering
and sympathy for the oppressed, whose
patriotism means something more valua-
BILE to his country than display, if he
could purchase political success by thus
crushing out all the generous impulses
of his nature. The business of princi
pies does not depend upon their popu-
larity. Defeat may exclude certain things
from a governmental policy, but their
character remains unchanged.
The principles advocated by the dem
ocratic party: d. The wiping out Of
sectional lines; ca Demanding for the
states the exclusive management of their
own local affairs; g. A tariff for revenue
only, are the three things needed to pre-
serve our representative form OF govern.
ment in fact as we'll as in name and to in.
sure continued prosperity. Those three
| things should be cherished by every
lover of his country and as collection
of people having community of belief
constitute q party, so these principles
must give continued vitality to the dem,
ocratic party or Inen most prove recreant
to their convictions. As a national party
we eau have no hope of the offices; SC
much the better; the more DEVOTED we
will be to our principles. The republi
can party is rushing toward Capitalization
and we already have despotism of par
| ty. 1t is party that must be fought
though defeat be inevitable.
Tho democratic party was called into
being by the aristocratic leanings and
monarchial tendencies of those who ad
ministered national affairs In the early
days of the republic. 1t was, has been
and is the party of the common people
| 1t conseryes their interests. Ever since
It's organization it has been opposed te
that policy which would accord special
privileges to the wealthy. This year il
was abandoned by those whose champion
it was. They deserted friend who has
always been loyal to them; friend who
has plead. their cause and fought then
battles for almost century. But We
should net disband because those fol
whom we fought have been false. They
have been deceived by specious argu-
ments and attracted by high sounding
| promises. To disband will be to say
that Justification and .bluster are more
powerful than principle. We cannot
work with republicans pledged to their
present policy. We cannot form anoth-
er party equal to the democratic, made
dear by its efforts for equality justice and
| constitutional government.
|