The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-07-11
The Two Great Parties.

tOr q Ilmo personal QuereQCeS IQI6dt-
ehed the disruption of the Republican
party, but the danger has passed, and
from all parts of the Union come cheer
ing reports that the ranks are being.
closed up preparatory to the great battle
of 1884. The salvation and strength of
the Republican party lies in the fact
that it has had the courage of its con-
victions. Knowing the right it has
stood manfully for it. Temporary de-
feats have been sustained, but it always
had the vantage ground of right on
which to wage another contest and gain
victory. With the great mass of the
party principles are far above men, and
the former have never been abandoned
for the sake of Office and spoils. The
great secret of its success is that it has
with rare exceptions been right and
courageous. The intelligent voter who
will trace its history rom the great
Democratic rebellion down to the pres
emit time viii find that it has been the
affirmative party of this country, and
that the greatest progress and prosperi-
ty achieved in any period of the Ma
tion's life has been under Republican
rule.
On the other hand the Democratic
party has been principally engaged in
trying to snatch power by playing on
the credulity of voters, and in opposing
every step in the road of progress taken
by the Republican party. The strang-
est thing of all is that just as soon as
any of the great questions, which have
agitated the Nation since 1851, have
been settled, the Democratic party has
marched its forces on to the ground
won by the Republicans, and from that
position fired from the rear at the party
of progress fighting in the van to secure
new victories in the cause OF justice and
humanity.
The record of the Democratic party
is written all over with incompetency
and cowardice. 1t upheld slavery while
that institution was alive, and even aft
er it was dead bitterly denounced Abra-
ham Lincoln for issuing the Emancipa-
ton Proclamation. It stood by the
Fugitive Slave law whose provisions
contemplated the turning of every free
man in the North into bloodhound to
bay upon the track of innocent human
prey. This party believed that babes
should be wrenched from the bosoms OF
loving mothers and sold into q life of
| Slavery. These heIlish and barbarous
practices were defended on constitu-
tional grounds. To-day this same DEM
ocratic party is deeply solcitous that
Republicans shall give the colored man
every right accorded to him under the
Constitution. It opposed the war fol-
the Union, reconstruction, impartial
suffrage, honesty in dealing with the
Nations creditors, and sound curren-
cy. In spite of its opposition the great
rebellion was crushed, the Union re-
stored, the ballot given to former slaves
| the Nations credit established ON sc
firm basis that the interest on its bonds
! is but three and one-hah per cent, and
currency of gold, silver and paper o.
equal value-the best in the world.
So far as present issues are concerned
| the Democratic party is doing itsrusua
amount of straddling and squirming
industry which the Republicans believ'
to be incontestably right, and which vii
be the pivot on which the next Presi
Dental election will turn, is arock which
threatens to knock the bottom out of tn,
Bourbon craft. The Cincinnati Gdzett
in speaking of the position of the oppo
sition on this great question truthful.
says:
1.-THE Democratic leaders do not know
where they stand. They are bewildered
They are undertaking the impossibl
feat of riding two horses going in oppo
site directions, and what their Stat
platform will be, or what their Nationa
platform viii be, no one is wise enougl
to foretell; but it is safe to guess it vii
be mixture of words that may be in
terpreted half a dozen ways. If tn
Democratic party have convictions ol
the tariff, which many of the leaders nj
doubt have, they have not the courag
to back them up. If they have any wen
defined principles in regard to any liy
ing subject they are too cowardly t.
proclaim them. They are always pre-
pared to use strong language wheI
bombarding antiquity, but their polio,
with reference to the living present
to straddle the fence, and their objectiv
point is votes to be secured through pre-
judice. Upon this cowardly food tn
Democratic leaders have been feedin,
their people for q quarter of a century
and they are not yet prepared to seek
more healthy or creditable diet 4
Democratic campaign, therefore, mean
nothing but the spoils. ."-Ldasing RI
publican. Z