The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-04-21
DAVID DAVIS PLAN.
SENATOR DAVIS GIVES THE TWO PARTIES
SOME WORDS OF ADVICE.

SENATOR DAVIS GIVES THE TWO PARTIES
| SOME WORDS OF ADVICE.
WASHINGTON, April s.
DEAR SIR: / am much obliged for the
friendly expressions in your letter. In
my Judgment the best hope for the coun-
try is through reconstruction of parties.
| Our politics have become degraded into
a shameful scramble for the spoils of Of
fee. For weeks past the Senate, which
is supposed to represent the best intel
| lect of both sides, has been engaged in
an unseemly struggle for small places.
And now, at the very start of a new ad
ministration, the Republican factions are
arrayed against each other over the pat
| ronage.
Great corporations and consolidated
monopolies are fast seizing the avenues
of power that lead to the control of the
government. 1t is an open secret that
they rule States, through procured legis-
lation and corrupted courts; that they
are strong in Congress, and that they are
unscrupulous in the use of means to con-
quer prejudice and to acquire influence
This condition of things is truly alarm
ing, for unless it be changed quickly and
thoroughly, free institutions are doomed
to be substituted by an obigarchy, rest
ing upon basis of money and of corpo-
rate power. Every farmer in the West
is bound hand and foot by the manacles
of monopoly. Corporations prescribe
the value of his hard labor, and his crop
is absolutely at their mercy. Who pro
poses on either side to protect the Just
rights of the great agricultural communi-
ty with $4,000, 900 of population?
Corporations not only levy toll on the
industry of the farmers, but every blank
ct with which their children are warmed,
every plow share that turns the soil, and
the necessary articles of household econ
omy are taxed by an excrbitant tariff for
the profit of monopoly. How can resist
ance be successfully made against cor
porate power when both the great parties
are organized and run as close corpora
tions? Leading newspapers, recognized
as Republican and Democratic organs,
are owned and directed by grasping
monopolists to subserve their selfish
schemes and restrain opposition to them
in either party. Their only politics is
greed of gain. One party retains pos
session Of the government for quarter
of century by methods which would
long ago have condemned it to crushing
defeat but for the errors of Democratic
leaders, always committed at the worst
time. For long years past the Republi-
can party has existed upon sectional agi-
tation end hr- ~ ~ ---- ~rrouents.
There are hundreds of thousands of pure
and patriotic men in both organizations
who are rendered wholly powerless by
the machine management of each, and
who are politically enslaved by leaders
that secretly unite whenever venaI OBJ
ject is to be gained by combination.
Regular nominations, dictated by pro-
fessional politicians, and the irresponsi-
ble caucus, directed by few ambitious
leaders, control nation, state, and MUM
cipal politics. They put up candidates,
construct platforms, and proclaim patri-
otto principles in fine phrases, which are
mere shams. Practical reform is impos-
sible on any large scale while one hun
dred thousand offices, and patronage
represented in some five hundred mil
lions Of annual receipts and expenditures,
are offered as the prizes of success The
party in possession, disciplined and led
like regular army, has an enormaus ad-
| vantage, width is somewhat crippled 10y
the bitter rivalry of its chiefs. Unfortu-
nately for the Democratic party, q preiu-
| dice exists in the Northern mind that ii
| was hostile to the Union during the civil
war. The fact that tens of thousands of
Democrats, many of them, too, from the
then slave holding States, nobly volun-
| teered their services for and offered up
| their lives in defense of the old flag does
not affect this belief While that preju-
| dice exists the chances for the Democrat
ic party are limited, however patriotic its
purposes may be. IF the mere name
should be abandoned the Republican
| party would die for the want OF an oppo
sition that now serves to keep it alive.
A national party founded on harmony
between all parts Of the Union; real re-
form of abuses; economy of public ex-
penditures; rigid accountability of off,
GERS; honest civil service; free and fair
elections; upright observance of all con-
stitutional obligations, and maintenance
of the public credit, would be gladly well
coined by the people. Republicans and
| Democrats alike seek to be emancipated
from the vulgar despotism of the ''ma-
chine, which is common to both parties.
There are cheering signs that the end of
! this domination draws near, in the popu
| lar demand for good government, with.
out respect to party. Ring rule must be
oyerthrown. or it viii stop the wheels of
! progress and destroy the foundations of
social order. These opinions have long
been entertained, withou. the least desire
for concealment. With high respect,
DAVID DAVIS.
John Martin, Esq, Topeka, Kan.
]
A WONDERFUL DISCOVERY.
For the speedy cure of Consumption
ar d all diseases that lead To IF sy1cb &c