Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-08-11

"a democrat" who writes to the New
York Herald in very depressed frame of
mind TO ask how the people can ever secure
q change of administration in the face of as
sassments levied on hundred thousand Of
fice-holders and of tho squandering of pub
lie money on all sorts of jobs, and who adds
that he "despairs of tho country when he
sees the party in power openly using the
money of the people to buy votes enough to
retain the power which they misuse" gets for
reply from the Herald dose of horse sense
which ought to act as tonic on his hungry
and debilitated political system and put some
new ideas in his head
"when the great American voter changes
his servants, he means to have better set in
the place of those he turns out, and on the
whole he is right. What encouragement did
intelligent voters-and it is those who con-
troll the destinies of parties-what promise
of better things did these get from the ridic-
ulous attitude of the Democratic party in
$780, when its Presidential candidate wrote
congratulatory letters to Greenback candi-
dates in Maine and reassuring letters to high
tariff men in New Jersey, and the party
which had declared itself for honest admins
trati6n and tariff for revenue only, had for
llS Cul6I uhuHkoT MT. DhEuuui, hu 6AhEoLub
protectionst, known chiefly in connection
with mules? What is the use of Senator
Pendleton making perfunctory orations about
permanent civil service when an official re-
port proves that the Democratic Senators,
when they were lately in the majority, made
a sweep of the employees of their own body :?
What is the use of a Democratic platform de-
claring in favor of free election and fair
| count when the Democrats in the House des-
perately resist the uuseating of man like
| Mr.. Chalmers, who had not even the shadow
of an honest title, or like Mr.. Dibble, whose
case was no better, though perhaps not quite
so plain2
''The plain truth is that when the people
want change, and believe that they can
make it to their advantage, no assessments,
| no Jobs, can keep them from doing their
will. Whenever they see opposed to the Re-
publicans of the present day n party with
honest, courageous and sensible leaders, who
will stand by the people if they are elected,
they will put that party in power. Until
then they will probably stick to the Republi.
can party In our belief they are wise in SC
! doing.
"What is the present Democratic party
anyhow Is it anything better than mob
Is it agreed upon one point of policy 1t has
wise and capable men among its leaders, but
it usually snubs them and sends them to the
rear 1t has not even resolution enough tC
seize upon the most evident and plainly ex
pedient policy its Senators have in the las
few weeks wasted days in idle disputes abou
the tariff, when the opportunity lay before
them to move the repeal of the whole intri
cate and needless internal tax system, anC
make their play before the country on tina
policy. No, Mr.. Tilden was right when Ia
said that there would be no Democratic sue
cess until there is a Democratic party"
1t would hardly be possible to add any
thing to this very pertinent statement of thu
case by the Herald 1t is one thing for can
did and earnest Republicans to feel and ex
press dissatisfaction at many of the acts o
their representatives and leaders, but it i
quite another to look to ''mob" to Sc
wrongs set right. The Boston Journal state
the case in nutshell when it says, in thi
connection that 'the fatal weakness of tn
Democratic position, when it attempts +
make political capital out of the mistake
and faults of the Republicans, is this, tina
when the people make change, they wan
to make q change for the better, and the
know that to reinstate the Democratic part
would be a very pronounced change for tn
worse"