Mexico weekly ledger., 1882-10-19
DEMOCRATS AND WORKINGMEN
TBY EX-GOVERNOR KoERNER.l

hA-boN h"hR-Nhh.
To assert that the Democratic party
is the enemy of the working-classes
that it intends to place them upon a
level with workmen in overcrowded
countries where, on account of excess
sive competition wages, are Insufficient
is to pervert history. Examine the
political history of the democracy,
and you will find that the very reverse
of that is true. For nearly half a
century, after the formation of our
national government, there existed in
nearly every state of the Union property
qualifications excluding poor men
from political rights, and it was the
Democratic party, in every instance,
which succeeded in making suffrage
universal. For a similar time the
people were excluded from choosing
most of their officers. The state Off
GERS in almost every state, and in Ill
inois when l first came here, were
all appointed either by governors or
legislatures. All this following the
lead of New York, at that time dem
ocratic state, has been changed, and
you will find all these changes met
with hearty democratic support.
Coming to particulars, it was owing
to strenuous efforts of the democratic
party that the public lands, which in
earlier times could be bought only in
large tracts, were offered in forty
acre lots, enabling the poor man to
acquire home for himself and family.
1t was the democratic party which
passed the pre-emption laws, giving
the poor settler chance to pay for
his land, after raising a few crops
on it. The free homestead law open
ing our western country to actual
settlers was introduced by Andrew
johnson, democratic senator from
Tennessee, and was passed after great
effort principally by the help of DEM
oerats. 1t was then the constant
practice of the opposition to charge
the democratic party with doing too
much for the people and trusting them
with too much power, and yet we
now hear the charge made in the same
quarter that the democratic party
wishes to oppose the laboring classes
andHeduce them to beggery-a charge
too absurd to be believed by any that
are acquainted with its past acts.
That party, on the contrary, is in
sympathy with the lowly and down.
trodden, and stands by them to-day,
as it has ever done in the past, when
it protected emigrants from the frantic
attacks of native Americans. 1t has
always drawn its greatest strength
from labor, having always struck its
roots deep down in the strata of soci-
ETY., which needed protection. The
rich are abundantly able to take care
of themselves, and have always op-
posed to the poor the associated
wealth of magnates and millisnaires
in corporations, and long ago they
would have gained entire ascendancy
but for the democracy.
There will be need yet for years of
large revenue, which all parties are
agreed should be raised through a
tariff which will give ample protection
to all classes in need of it, and manu-
facturers have no right to demand
more from consumers. England has
the lowest tariff of all the nations of
Europe, and taking into consideration
the low cost of living there, pays the
highest rate of wages. In France
and Germany, having high tariffs,
wages are correspondingly low Dur
ing our hard times when thousands of
workmen were compelled to seek
homes in the West, did our high
tariff give them protection, and are
wages remunerative even now? Do
we not rather know that strikes under
republican rule abound everywhere? !?
These are the facts, and all that are
not willfully blind can profit by them.
1t is the republican party that sus-
tains bosses, privilege and monopoly.
All this is kept in the background. 1
can make great allowance for hard
pushed republicans who bring charges
against the democracy. In their Sit
uation, 1 might do the same thing.
No; l take that back. am certain
l would never, under any circum-
stances, cOndescend to falsehOod.