The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-07-22

of eachn is doctrine which has been held by
the Democratic party since the days Of Jeffer-
son, its founder. 1.-THE subordination of the
military to the civil power is principle which
has always been maintained by the Democracy.
In this enumeration We are not considering the
Justice but only the sincerity Of the Democratic
declarations. Who can doubt that they are SIM
cere In asserting that the fright to free ballot
is right preservative Of all right" !" and de-
nouncing the presence Of troops and Federal
marshals at the polls to oyerawe the voters? 1t
is for the country to decide whether this view is
correct, but nobody can dispute that the Demo-
cratic platform is sincere in this declaration.
AS little can its good faith be called in question
in denouncing the means by which Mr.. Tilden
was counted out after the election of 1876.
Without going further into details we may
safely assert that the Cincinnati platform says
nothing it does not mean; and although some
parts OF it may be crudely expressed 1t holds
out no false lights to lure the unwary.
7 Can as much be said for the sincerity Of the
Chicago platform? By the confession Of the
gentleman who reported it to the convention it
il series of trimming declarations. Judge
Pierrepont prefaced his report with little
speech, in which he said: Il
of from each State u the Union from each Ter
ritory and from the District Of Columbia, there Is
diversity W S Si Ss Iee ,a Of the
Early in the convention 1t became apparent that
we would have a sufficient number of exciting topics
to keep us active and awake and We have endeav-
ored in the resolutions which we present, to have
nothing which we could not oursev yes agree and
nothing that would tend TO disturb the harmony of
this convention or awaken angry debate or cause
long delay" ~ Js
After such a confession it was not to be ex-
pected that the Chicago platform would deal
| conrageously with important qestions. We
accordingly find that it gives more space to q
partisan version Of history than to encouraging
| public questions of immediate interest 8 It
0lo {0r 4ha ,,I,
| credit of suppressing the rebellion, reducing
| the public debt and restoring specie payments.
| 1t Is quite true that the Republican party has
been in power during these great achieve
ments. But was it really the Republican party
| that suppressed the rebellion? It nobly did its
part, but the Union could not have been saved
| if Northern Democrats had not been as loyal
as Northern Republicans. Can it be pretended
| that General Hancock and scores snd hundreds
of Democratic officers did nothing towards saw
| ing the Union? Can it be pretended that the
| great Democratic strongholds, like the City OF
| New York, which sent forth their thousands
and tens of thousands of ardent Democratic
| volunteers, did nothing toward saving the
| Union? There was, indeed, a small body o1
disgruntled Democratic copperheads, but the
patriotic young men of the Democratic party
were as eager to enlist as any part of the com
munitiy, and the brave Irish regiments, Demo
/ Gratis almost to a man, came back with rankf
more decimated and flags more reduced tc
shreds- by the fire of the enemy than any
| others. We do not object to the introduction
of history into platforms, but to false history.
/ The great body of Democrats Of whom Han
cock is a type, were as true to the flag as tht
Republican soldiers. If only Republicans hat
| fought against the South the South would have
conquered. 1t is therefore q piece of brazer
party assurance for the Republican Nationa
i Convention to claim the whole merit of sup
pressing the rebellion. Such claim is SO OBJ
Il viously hollow and insincere that it deserves M
i respect.
As to the reduction of the public debt ana
the resumption of specie payments, the pre-
tensions Of the Republican party are not quit
SO absurd. But it must not be forgotten fha
in 1874, when the Republicans had majorit,
In both Houses of Congress, q mischievous in
fation bill was passed, and that its veto b
President Grant was the only thing which pre-
served the country from an indefinite postpone
rient of specie payments. 1t does not becom
the party to boast when it WAS saved from
headlong plunge into imitation by the exercis
of the veto power. -
Is it not little wild for the Republican par
ty to claim the sole merit of reducing the pub
lie debt? The means of reduction came out 9
the taxes, of which Democratic citizens pai
their full share. tausil-A 20!
The Chicago platform shirks some importan
questions on which the Cincinnati platform
clear and explicit. Free ships and tariff 70
revenue only are admirable planks of the Dem
ocratic platform, but there is nothing col
responding to them IN the hepubhcan declara
ton of principles. ..=r--.. -.,r4
On the Chinese question both parties occup
substantially the same ground. But it Is al
rant demagogism and unworthy trucking t
prejudice on both sides. But since the tw
great parties agree on this subject, we suppos
John Chinaman must go. The Republicans
having adopted the platform before they kne'
who their candidate was to be, made q ba
blunder. We may take it for granted that Nj
Garfield will not fndorse this part of the plat
form of his party. In 1879 there was introduce
in the House bill for restricting Chinese in
migration by furnishing steamships whic
brought more than fifteen Cinnamon. Nj
Garfield made vigorous speech against Il
bill 1t passed the Senate with amendment
but was vetoed by the President, and Mr.. Ga
field voted to sustain the veto. We honor hi
for his iberality on that occasion We al
confident that his letter of acceptance will NJ
express approval of this part of the Republiea
platform.