The Russellville Democrat., 1882-03-09


 the time honored principles of democ- racy. All the inconsistencies and ; blunders of the party have grown out ofa difference of opinion among our leaders as to the most practicable means and methods to be adopted to the success and restoration of the party to power, and not from any division in the party in regard to its great cardi- nal principles, in fact the promotion of these has always been the ultimatum of the party, though at times apparently abandoned. The climax of all its blum ders was the nomination of Mir. Greedy in 1872.
 Yourself, formerly member of the party, to this hour. endorse it's great cardinal principles.
 To test you by the principles enunci- tories, you venture 10 say that you are better democrat than we are. We make no issue with you on this point, but we think you committed great blum der in str mbling out of the democratic into the greenback party; but since your object was not to destroy, but 10 perpctuate the principles of democracy, we cordially invite you back to full fel- lowship in the party. If We can afford to forgive you, you certainly can afford to forgive u5. We can shake hands oy- CT the egregious blunders of the past with the consolation that while we er- red in method the ultimate object of each and all the perpetuation of the principles of democracy-was and re- main the sa ne. If some member of the family IS unruly and needs correction the result could not be accomplished by lcavlnS home and beseiging it, but the better plan would be to remain at home with friends and relatives and assist ln administering the needed corr ection. No doubt bat that correction is in some respects needed in the democratic par ty. We have many little and petty ri- valries and dissensions at home to over come. The fight should be made with in the party. The moment you quit the party aad join in with another with view to administering correction you erent, and of course, lose all influence to accomplish good in the party. We should never Jose sight ofthe great car : dinal principles of the democratic par ty. Nothing but firm and steady ad- hesion to these principles is necessary to the success of the party, and the tri- umph of those great principles, the merit and justice of which, you admit.
 It is true that the democrats had in their platform in 1868, as you are pleas ed to term ie n "greenback" plank. This was justified by the times. We had just emerged from great civil war, our treasuries exhaus ed and large na- } tional debt hanging over us. Rather than burden the people with the pay ment of interest accumulUtions on a funded debt the democratic party very wisely thought is best 10 stop the fur ther funding of the debt on the plan proposed by the republicans, and fa- vored the government issuing treasury notes redeemable at future day to meet the exigencies of the times and the demands of the government. This they favored from the necessity of the case, and instead of being inconsistent with their policy now, is perfectly rec oncilable, and is but another evidence of their patriotism and sympathy with the people, The greenback party long after the necessity ceases to exist in Il time of profound peace and plenty when the resources of the government are almost unlimited, want to flood the country with an irredeemable curren- cy. The republicans in that contest won, and their plan of bonding the in- debtedness of the government was in all things executed ,and the faith of the government pledged to it's payment, in- terest as we'll The pledges of the gov ernment ought to be as sacred when made under one administration as un- der another. Its credit would be redu- ced to frail thread, indeed, if a change in parties meant repudiation of the pledges of the government under for mer administration. Hence the policy of the democratic party is to pay of the bonded debt per contract. If not able to pay 1t as it becomes due, to refund at low rate of interest on short time as the necessity of the case will admit, at all times, subject to the call of the government and redeemable at its pleas ure. The debt is now being paid at the rate of over $l2,OOO,0o0 per month. Yet you assert that the democrats while Tn the majority in Congress did nothing for the relief of the people or towards paying the bonds or winding up the banks. These are the very things that the democrats did render possible. They did not pay the bonds or demolish the banks with a simple stroke of the pen, the principles of natural justice forbid that they should; but when a democratic house came into power in 1875 they curtailed . the ordinary expenses of the govern ment $40, ,000 ,000 per year; besides du- rl, T