Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-26
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and the spoils thereunto belonging, their
first effort is to make capital for them
selves by inveighing in bombastic style
against the Bourbon Democracy. In
fact, that expression seems to be about
their only political stock in trade, and
when they have exhausted the vocabu-
lary of self laudation in setting forth
their peculiar fitness for, and
claims to, the office which
they covet, they invariably fall
back upon this, their fsYorite phrase.
1t is very doubtful if these Independent
anti Bourbons really themselves have any
definite understanding of what they desire
to imply by the use of this term. They
hear the Republicans. North and South.
use it, intending it as an opprobrious cpl
tibet for the Democratic party, and, with
out thinking what it means, or, indeed,
whether it has any meaning at all, they
merely follow the example thus set by
their Radical allies.
The idea really intended to be con-
veyed by the term Bourbon, however,
is that the person or party to whom 1t is
applied resembles the royal Bourbons of
Frauce-a family which was welded so
completely to old practices and old
usages as to be incapable of forming
new ideas or keeping pace with the
march of human liberty and modern pro-
gress; a family which never forgot
anything and never learned anything, "
and were therefore regarded as unfit
rulers for a people imbued with the
restless, progressive spirit of this age of
freedom 1t is intended, therefore, by
the use of this expression in American
politics to convey the idea that the
Democratic party is in favor OF revolu'
tionizing the present condition of affairs
in the United States, and establishing
the old ante 5elIum regime. That is to
say, that it is opposed to the freedom of
the negro and to giving him the rights of
citizenship, but desires to remand him
to slavery, and to repeal all the various
amendments to the United States Con-
stitutiOn which have been enacted for
his benefit.
That is the simple idea which the enc
mics of the Democratic party mean to
convey when they speak Of the "Bour-
bon Democracy" A mere statement of
it, in plain English, is sufficient to show
It's absurdity and falsity. The DemOc-
racy have accepted IN good faith all the
constitutional amendments, and could
not repeal them if it would, and would
not if it could. 1t has shown itself by
deeds to be the true friend of the black
man, for while it guarantees to him all
his civil rights, and the advantages of
common school education, it has never
sought to deceive him into becoming its
political tool by promising him forty
acres and mule" and indulging in other
false practices towards him. Nor has 1t
ever attempted to rob him of his hard
earned wages through the medium of
Freedmen's Savings Banks. 1t has done
more for him than it has ever protested
to do, and upon nothing can he rely for
the enjoyment of all his rights with
greater security than upon the Demo
cratic party of the United States. The
term Bourbon" as applied to that party
bv the Radicals, therefore, is simply
base, but entirely cha cteristic,
deceit. Only once has it ever en- truth
fullvapplied, and that was in the case of
Virginia when used by the Mahoneites of
that State. They meant, by it, to charge
upon the Democracy of the Old Dominion
that it was in favor of ante belIum hon
esty in the payment of the State debt,
and they were, for once, right.
Asabsurd as is the use of this term when
applied to the Democratic party at large,
its absurdity is even more manifest when
it is used by the Feltonites and Republi-
cans of Georgia. The followers of the
reverend political leader profess, with
great flourish of trumpets, their devotion
to human rights and human liberty;
their earnest wish and determination to
guarantee every man, white or black,
the right to cast his vote and have that
vote counted; their intentiOn-when they
get in power -Of securing to every man,
white and black, the advantages Of pub
lie schools, and then, after finishing all
this TRADE of bosh, they attempt to excite
the preiud1ces of the voters by gushing
about 'fhe Bourbon Democracy" In
other words, they boldly advocate every
principle of DemocracY-because they
know if they do otherwise the people OF
the State will at once spew them out OF
their mouths in disgust-yet they i'm
mediately prove that either they do not
understand the first teachings of the
Democratic party, or that they are arrant
hypocrites by attempting to bring the
teachings and principles of that party
into ridicule.
The people of Georgia are not fools by
any means, and will never be deceived
by such fimsy DISCUSSES as those assumed
by the Independent and Republican enc
mics of the Democracy of their State.
They remember what the State has suf-
fered under Radical rule, and they know
how she has prospered, and is prosper
ing, under the benefcent sway of the
Democratic party. Rev Mr.. FELTON, and
his followers, therefore, have already
made fatal mistake in attacking the
Democracy of Georgia and adopting
the Radical term Bourbon for
that party. They would, beyond the
shadow of a doubt, have stood greater
chance of success had they, openly and
above board, planted themselves at the
outset upon the only platform upon
which they really stand, viz: eager de-
sire to secure the offices, the State
government and the pecuniary benefits
to be derived therefrom. The people of
Georgia would infinitely prefer to vote
for man who honestly says to them
81 want Office and personal aggrandize
ment, than for one who processes princi-
pies for which it is plain that he cares
nothing. The one may be regarded as