The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-03-24
The History Of the Democratic Party.


Prolixity is a serious fault in writer
of history. 1t is not fault which can
be charged to Mr.. Samuel j. Randall
That distinguished writer and manu-
facturer of history has succeeded in con-
densing the history of his party during
the last six years into the brief compass
of two remarkably short chapters, which
are here presented without any abbrevi-
alton.
"Charser LIN 1874, the Democratic party
after long interval, obtained control OF the
sCn6p.er H:-wi.h the close of this session
These two brief chapters tell the
whole story. Though, to the uninitiat-
ed, it looks like the beginning and the
ending of a historical narrative from
which the middle part has been omitted,
such is not the fact. There was no
middle part. The historian could not
find any materials for a middle part.
His task was to write faithful history
of the political performance of his party
during the period between 1874 and
1881. He found its whole history dur
ing that period to be comprised in two
notable events-first, its entrance; sec
ond, its exit. The conscientious his
torian could not give any account of
what the party did. between those
events, as there were no facts going to
show that it did anything. Historic
truth, said Cesar in his life OF Napoleon
Ill. Cor Uice versa), "should be no less
sacred than religion" How can any
body who knows Mr.. S. j. Randall have
any doubt that he has profound re-
spect for that sentiment?
That portion of Mr.. Randalrs great
&C. snh foil II 10
ond and concluding chapter is in the
nature of an epilog1e. He has therein
compensated himself for the absence of
facts by resorting to the always con-
venient a priori method of the old phi
losophers and schoolmen. When the
party entered. in 1874, cit had to face
q financial crisis" he says. Assuming
that the 4" financial crisis" or CONNER
cial revulsion, which emerged in 1873,
| continued during 1874, the statement
| seems warranted. 1t would have been
further warranted inference that the
business revulsion in 1873 and the en-
trance of Mr.. Randalrs party in 1874
had to each other the relation of cause
and effect. II the revulsion had not
come in 1873, the remarkable states
men of Mr.. Randall 8 party trademark
would not have been able to form that
virtuous alliance with the fiat-money
lunacy which enabled them to get con-
troll Of the House in 1874.
They found labor unemployed, trade
depressed, commercial distress wide
spread, gloom everywhere" They pro-
posed to give labor employment, allevi-
ate the commercial distress, dispel the
gloom, make business lively. And they
did it. They stopped extravagance.
established economy" and restored
confidence" says Mr.. Randall. They
did all this by the marvellous potency of
syllogism.
1t Is very well remembered that they
proposed to do it by repeating the Re-
sumption act, postponing indefinitely
the return to a solid-money basis, and
deemable "fiat money" This was
their plan of .facing the financial
crisis and putting a stop to the revul-
sion. That the consequence of execu-
ting that plan would have been univer-
sal bankruptcy and ruin. public and
private, sane people do not doubt. But
they did not fulfill their plan. All their
efforts to repeal the Resumption act
and reopen the flood gates of fiat
money" were defeated. There were
obstacles which they could not sur
mount. Therefore, by failing to fulfill
their programme of commercial and in
dustrial ruin, they saved the country
from commercial and industrial ruin
They did it by the simple but efficacious
method employed by the celebrated
John P. Squibob in his great fight with
Judge Ames. To the disinterested
spectators the victory appeared to be
on the side of the Judge, who had got
his antagonist down and, in the language
of the frontier. was chawing him up.''
1t looked differently from Mr.. Squibob's s
point of observation. 1--WE held the
Judge down with our nose" says that
veracious historian, (which we had
conveniently inserted between his-teeth
for that purposem 1t was in much the
same way that Mr.. Randalrs party
stopped extravaganza, established econ
omy. and restored confidence.
"It found gold at premium and
the notes of the Government at a dis
count" 1t endeavored to keep gold
at premium, to Danish it as a stand
ard money, and to reduce the notes ol
the Government to still greater dis
count by indefinitely postponing re
sumption and indefinitely continuing
the "lawful money" fraud. 1t failed
utterly in that virtuous scheme. There
fore, says Mr.. Randall, "it leaves tn,
public credit better than ever befor,
and unequaled in the money-market.
of the worldr'
"It has witnessed the removal o
sectional distrust within our borders.
BY these words it does not appear tha
the conscientious Mr.. Randall intended
to assert that his puissant party has re
moved sectional distrust, but only tha
it has witnessed its removal by the eff
feet of events which it was unable t,
direct or control. Why has Mr.. Ran
dali thus attempted to deprive hi
party of an important part of its hard
earned gloryP 1t is no less plain tina
. the removal of sectional distrust is on,
of its grand achievements. since 1874
. than it is that the restoration of bust
ness confidence, the resumption o
specie payment, and the improved pub
: lie credit are among its glorious works
in 1876, thus giving the Southern sec
tional party control of the Executiv,
power, it is presumption of reasoI
that sectional distrust and animosit,
would not have been removed, but in
, tensified and prolonged. Foreseein.
this very natural consequence, Mr.. Ran
dalfs party, in Congress, having tn
, power to make Mr.. Tilden President
, omitted to do SO, and, instead, mad
Mr.. Hayes President. The latter begal
+ and steadfastly pursued policy whicl
} has had prodigious effect in hasten
! ing the disappearance of sectional dis
: trust. Therefore, by making Mr.. Haye
, President, has Mr.. Randalrs part,
been, not simply witness, but a cause
, of the removal of sectional distrust! /
is wrong for Mr.. Randall to try to shea
his party of any part of its gloriou
] achievements.
But 1.-THE crowning triumph" of tina
party, Mr.. Randalls logical mind per
ceives, has been ''the effort" to enac