Daily Republican., 1882-09-04
mONDAY, SEPTEMBBR A. 1881
AFearTuIIndIctment.

If the Democrats think that Hon
James G. Blaine has lost the politica
fire of other days and has become non
entity, they are counting without
their host. He is as able and ready to dc
battle for the Republican party and for
the right as he was when he rquished
Hill in the Senate, or as he stood spon-
sor before the nation for the integrity
and honest purpose of President Gar
field. Blaine is born Republican-he
would be traitor to the conscientious
moral training of his youth if he were
any thing else. Every honest senti-
ment of his nature is in antagonism to
what is called Democracy, and every
emotion OF his heart is for the success
of Republicanism. A few days ago he
delivered a Enthusiastically strong
and incisive speech at political meet
ing in Maine, in which he issued the
following notable challenge: 81 chal-
lenge any gentleman to show that in
the whole of twenty.one years the
Democratic party and its various side
issues like the Greenback and Labor
and other organizations have ever pro-
duced measure that was able to be
materialized into the form of bill, or
resolve in the Congress OF the United
States for the amelioration of any hu-
man WOO or for the advancement of any
public good" This is fearful chal'
4enge to make to any party. asking for
the government to be committed to its
hands. But Mr.. Blaine knows what
he is doing. He knows the party can
not produce the evidence, and hence
he makes the challenge. If it cannot
he successfully met then must the
Democratic party stand posted before
the country as lacking the disposition
to do good, even if it had the power
The twenty-one years alluded to by Mr..
Blaine covers the period of the war of
the rebellion, the re- construction period
and the intervening time from then to
the present. The Democratic party
stigmatized the war as failure, op-
posed emancipation, resisted the draft,
Bneered at the Union Leagues, called
the soldiers "Lincoln's Hirelings" and
never produced a measure before Con-
gress that offended rebel. The trying
period following the war found the
Democrats equally unfruitful of good
works. They fought the reconstruc-
tion measures, and in doing so gave
mcral support to the Ku-Klux and
other kindred organizations invented to
defraud the people of their rights. Mr..
Blaine may well ask without fear of
al honest, straight forward answer,
"whO can point to single measure
emanating from a Democratic Con-
gresham and commanding a United
Democratic support which was fer the
Rmelioration of any human woe or the
advancement of any public gool?"
Since tie days of 10 construction, en-
bracing that period leading to the pres
ent--the Democratic party has been as
barren of good results. 1t took to its
embrace all kinds of wild fancied theo-
Ties, with a view of catchinga a floating
vote, W hich was expected to watt it
into power, and when it got possession
of Congress the time was spent in pass
ing partisan measures calculated to an
mi the laws passed by the Republicans
to enforce the re. construction measures.
Safeguards around the ballet box have
been removed in the name of freedom,
but for the purpose of cOe1 cling the gov
eminent and to keep tie Democratic
party in power by fraud. These things
are not forgotten yet by the public
mind
There is no danger of the glove
thrown to the Democracy by Mr.. Blaine
being picked up. The Democrats will
not be in a hurry 10 knock the chip
from his shoulder. If there is one who
will make the attempt, he will only
succeed in covering himself with con-
fusion. The plain unvaInished truth
ia, the record of the Democracy for the
past twenty. one years appears to the
best advantage when it is let severely
alone.