The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-08-03
50 SECURE YOUR TICKETS, GEN.
TLEMEN.v

be said of the world, was enlisted in
the interest of perpetuating Repub-
licanism at the head of our federal
ism. The best securities were dis
posed of at two and one-half times
less than their real value, the true
difference being greater even than
this, since the bonds that sold in
1862 for two hundred and sixty
have advanced in value three hun
dred per cent. By thus gratifying
capital, by the distribution, in quar-
tiers where it would do the most
good to the party in power, of fat
contracts, and of all kinds of pecu-
mary advantages, the Republican
party added to it's power TO
hold the government. The cor
porate Industries and financial
institutions of the country
were banded into powerful coad-
tutors of this party. through special
grants and tariffs for protection; by
the building up of. monopolies, and
by sweeping system of class legis-
lation, unheard of before in any
country; and by the squandering of
untold billions of money. The war
debt appeared as three thousand
millions of dollars, while war was
simply made the pretext for robbing
the masses of twenty times this sum,
not a mouthful of food but was
made, by base legislation, to pay
tribute to some privileged few not
yard of cloth but was made to yield
twice its value to the manufacturer
who contributed to the party that
contributed to him; not a utensil in
all the land that did not become the
means of an uneven exchange be-
tween the user and the maker, as
profitable to the latter as it was dis
tressing to the former-all returning
pay to the Republican party for the
advantages thus acquired. BY such
systems did this party acquire, and
by such systems has it continued to
maintain, its power. Against such
a power has the Democratic party
sustained its federal organization,
even during the war, struggling
with a will that demonstrates its
purity of purpose. But war and its
many evil results spread baletul in
fluences among all men. The Demo-
cratic party became demoralized,
and substituted to certain degree
policy for principle, thus losing con-
fidence long extended it by the
people. The nomination of Mr..
Greeley was a sad mistake, and can
be attributed alone 10 most I'M
wise effort TO win by policy that
which it should have pursued alone
upon principle. What was lost by
abandonment of principle, in 1872,
was regained, in 1876, at st. Louis,
by Il return TO the honest purposes
of the party. Had the corrupting
influences, that had controlled the
federal government, not been
brought to bear upon congress,
a Democratic president, elected
beyond all dispute, would
have been inaugurated i'll
1877, and Democracy, saved
from political trimmers, would have
triumphed again in 1880. Fiat
money was not too soft thing for
some of these trimmers, while, with
the decentralization of Democrats in
Ohio and Indiana, and in many of
the other states, there was sufficient
incongruity at Cincinnati, in 1880, to
defeat a pronounced sound money
candidate. A living issue being thus
buried beneath dead one, repre-
sented by epaulets and spurs, the Gin.
cinnati nomination fell flat upon the
country, and Waterloo defeat en-
sued. The declaration of principles
was all right, but the proposed
agency, in one written sentence,
aroused a suspicion that eliminated
in defeat. But Democracy leans by
its errors. Two years ago, for in
stance, at Dallas, the Democratic
party of Texas made what was de-
nominated a platform. 1t was de-
void OF anything substantial,
literally composed of nothingness.
and while the STATESMAN advanced
to the best of its ability the cause of
the party in Texas, it hid, as far as
lay it's power, this miserable subter-
fuge from view, aud made the fight
upon those just principles which un-
derlie the proper administration of
government. Not so, now; the Gal
weston convention adopted a plat
form of principles meeting squarely
all the issues of the day, built upon
the Jeffersonian doctrines, and in
doing this good work Texas, as it
were, takes the initiative step in a
movement which, followed by sue
cess in the various states in 1882,
will lead to victory in the Union in
1884. The day for war measures are
ended, and the people are weary of
these burdens imposed to estab-
lish and still to maintain the Re-
publican party. They recognize
that the Republican au,ocrsts have
outlived their day and time; that
they drag thsir party along now
simply by the glIttering display of
gold, taken from the pockets of the
laboring masses; that the unpro-
tected do really need a modicum of
protection, and that they are going
to have it; that corruption and the
waste of public money must cease ;
that there must be less direct and
especially less indirect taxation that
labor may have permanent reward ;
that peace and plenty may be per-
petusted. The people are in earn
est, and the masses are now moving
into the Democratic party for the
purpose of securing, through its
agency, purer government. They