The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1881-09-22
Because.

Why not ?" is the caption of lead
ing editorial in which the New York
Times undertook to formulate certain
conclusive reasons for maintaining the
Republican party in power. The COM
placent Times devotes long preamble
to the somewhat startling contention
that, while the Republican party is not
wholly devoid of faults (what q mag
nanimous admission y, still 80 long as
its defects are exposed and criticized by
Republican journals, it is continuously
absolved and regenerated. This is very
artistic way of affirming tt at the utterly
disreputable squabbles between Stall
wart and Half-breed organs, every one of
which tortures law and facts to suit the
selfish aims of its faction, are, forsooth,
a species of healthy criticism.
Realizing that the argument we have
outlined is not, of itself calculated to
impress disinterested minds, the Times
proceeds to furnish additional answers to
its own "why " by a detailed arraign-
ment of the Democracy. Let us ex-
anime its reasons seriatim:
1. The Democrats have had q very recent
trial in the most important branch OF the Gov
they were practically unchecked in their power
to shape the laws of the land. What use did
they make of that powerf How, for instance,
did they treat what was then, and for some
time must be, the most important question OF
our politics-the Southern question? They
confined themselves to violent but barren dis
cussion and to attempts to repeal q series OF
laws which, in principle, were absolutely re-
quired by the results of the war. They stirred
up q great deal Of contention and strife, and
did nothing whatever for the real interests Of
the section whose champions they pretended
to be.
This is abuse without reason or proof.
It is true that the Democrats had control
of Congress for several years, during
which period they inaugurated many
wholesome, comprehensive reforms, as
we shall slow a little later, and they
would have put in operation many other
valuable reforms but for the filibustering
opposition of apowerful Republican min
ority and the discreditable vetoes of an
Executive whom the Times helped to
place fraudulently in the Office to which
he was not elected 10 the Southern
question, it existed solely by virtue of
rancorous Radical intermeddling, delib-
erately designed to foment disorder IN
the Southern States for the purpose of
maintainining q sectional issue. When
Democratic Congresses treated all the
States of the Union alike, the Southern
question disappeared from sight lit was
only Radical scarecrow.
2. What did they do with the finances
Nothing that was wise or right, and attempted
In fact, the energies of their leaders were so
constantly required in suppressing the party
tendency to gross errors in finance that they
were powerless to even propose any positive
improvement. 1t is true that at first they
showed wholesome disposition to economy in
t11ra br1t Uar
disingenuous in this work that II amounted to
nothing. The apparent reductions had to be
made up in deficiency bills, and the appropria-
tions soon reached and then passed the KNIT
| under Republican rule.
A fool convinced against his will is
of the same opinion still, and, although
the subject is still fresh in popular mem
ory, it would probably be futile to try to
persuade the average Times reader that
the Refunding Bill was Democratic
measure, that it passed both House and
| Senate after the most persistent Repub-
hcan opposition, that it was vetoed by
| the Republican fraudulent President,
and that its financial policy, after all
had to be adopted by the incoming Re-
publican Administration. The existing
! prosperity of the country, and especially
the reduction of interest upon the Ma
tional Debt, SO far as they are due to
| governmental agency at all, are the
| fruits of wise Democratic Legislation.
What the Times says of reductions II
expenditure is not true, although Repub
lican officials did fagrantly violate the
law by exceeding their appropriations,
Many of the Star Route thieves have
been made scapegoats, now that then
rascalities cannot be successfully con
| cealed and the Tim q has been espec
ially severe upon them. Yet because
Key, Tyner, Brady and their coparcener'
exceeded their appropriations and raj
coolly declares that the Democracy die
not economize as much as it might hay,
done
g. They did nothing with the many evils o
the tax laws, and SO completely falsified thei
professions regarding the tariff that, it woul'
be the depth Of stupidity to trust them for an
reform in that direction. They did nothing
moreover, to improve, purify or systematic
the Civil Service, while they made several ex
hibitions of the most greedy devotion to th
miserable spoils principle, the overthrow o
which is the most Immediately important objec
in American politics. -
These generalizations are as false a
I they are sweeping. The Democrats dit
prepare o moderate and equitable revi
sion of the tariff, which was vehement,
assailed and ultimately defeated by tn
Republicans in alliance with some Demo
Gratis who were the representative
of monopolistic interests. Relative +
Civil Service reform, we all know hoy
the Republican Executive, Hayes, too
that problem entirely into his own hands
and we know where he left it.
Now the Times can revise its WINS an