The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-03-11
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
from the Mobile Register

cpess, Democratic sascendency In the
halls' Of our n ational Legislnture has, |
for the present. come to amend. Whenj
Congress next meets the House will be
in the hands of'thc- Republicans. and
the Senate will be so evenly divided
that neither party can claim absolnte'|
control of it.
" During more that Ave years the De-
mocracy have had q majority i'll the
House of Representatives, though only
having the ascendency in the Senate a
portion oflhat time. The New York
Herald by no means prejudiced in favor
of the Democracy, bears testimony to
the fact that during these five years a
system of rigid economy in public ex-
peuditures has been boldly and persis-
tently carried out, and that very soon
after the Democrats obtained control OF
tho House the lobby utterly disappear
ed from Washington never to reappear
in force or for general work since.
Mr.. Randall then, in his closing all
dress to the House, mad good reason to
speak as he did.
1t has been SO much the custom, or
rather the fashion, IL such a term can
be applied to political comment, to
speak of the blunders Of the Democracy,
that we think it high time to call at
tcul1OU W Slo SOOo tue purity udS az.
c0mplished, not the least of which has
been to prevent tho Republicans from
engaging in mischief. Economy is
never popular among politicians it is
q virtue they descant on when out of
power, and forget when they get in.
The course that politics had taken in
this country from the close of the war
to December, 1875, when the Dem
ocrats gained control Of the House OF
Representatives, had led the average
politician to look upon the public as an
amiabie many headed animal created
principally for tho purpose of being
fleeced. There was a tremendous stir
ring up of dry bones then when Mr..
Randall commenced his fight for econo-
my in tho public service. 1t Was said
by II shreWd Republican when this
needed reform was begun: oI am
glad they have control of the House.
We Republicans have got into Il habit
of wasting public money; and we have
| got SO many friends to oblige that to
economize as Randall is doing would
be an ungraciOus and even an impossi-
bio undertaking for u.s."
Many of our readers will remember
what the power of the lobby was six
or eight years ago; how its creatures in
tested the halls of Congress, haunted
places of entertainment, and tempted
Legislators with golden brides to swerve
from the path of duty. Like some
slimy serpent of tropical Glands, it
sought to envelop all near it in it's
folds, and reputation, conscience, and
honor We're crushed in it's embrace.
Legislation was fast becoming Il mat
ter Of barter and sale, and the interests
of the people were sacrificed to the
Drnn(1 nT fhair ChOSoa1 tnf i<,o
The capital of the country became,
like another Augean stable, full of all
uncleanliness. Then it was that the
Democratic party, like Hercules of old,
turned into 1t the two rivers of honesty
and economy, and cleansed it from ~
impurities. $3.50
But the democracy can take an hon
est pride in more than this. During the
last five years it has aided materially
In restoring good feeling between the
sections. While too many of the Re
publican speakers and writers have
sought to keep open the wounds made
by fratricidal strife, the voice of the
Democracy has been for peace and good
will between ali parts Of this great
country. 1t has sought to take from
the arena of politics that bitterness that
civil war aroused, but which should
Much had been said about the debt
of gratitude under which the country
should be to the Republican party for
the resumption of specie payment. But
Congress was Dem ocratic when the re-
! sumption took place, and during the
legislation of the few. ycnrs :hat proce-
ded it. Are no thanks due to the hard
money Democrats of Congress:
Strictly. speaking, neither party can
take to itself all the credit of re-
sumption, for differences of opinion on
the subject existed in the ranks of both
parties, but a Democratic majority is
! certainly entitled to some credit in the
matter.
The record of the Democracy in the
past, 1t will therefore be seen, will we'll
bear investigation. Let it prepare
itself for the work of the future. Let it
avoid the errors into which it has
sometimes fallen through listening too
readily to the dictates of policy. Let
1t seize hold upon such principles as
civil service and tariff reform, let il
stand by the rights guaranteed to the
States by the Constitution, let it OPP