The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-07-12

1
papers in the fact that Democratic
sentiment has not thus fer shown any
tendency TO settle upon candidate for
cue Presidency. This is assumed to in
dicatc eitlle: an an absence of faith in
the ability OF the party to win in the
coming contest or the existence OF irrec-
oncilable and mutually destructive fac
tons. Nobody, they tell us, can say
positively whether Tilden will be in the
lield or not, and there is quite as little
assurance that he would be welcomed
If he did enter the lists. Cleveland and
Bayard have, it is true, been spoken of
respectively with marked favor, and
even Payne has not been suffered 10
| waste his fragrance on the desert air of
the Senate; but around neither of these
gentlemen has there yet been anything
| in the nature of q well defined move
ment formed: and what is true of them
holds concerning the whole list of DEM
ocratic statesmen, if we except the
manifestations made on behalf of Mr..
Flower. In explanation of this remark
able absence of the ''booms'' and other
organized efforts familiar to politicians
the dispute over the tariff is referred
to. This. it is said, has hopclessly split
the party, first by dividing Demo-
Gratis and those who will not vote for
protcctionist and those who will have
neither part nor lot in the work of rev.
enue reform, and secondly by so setting
the recognized leaders by the ears that
either set would rather see the Repub-
licans triumph than have the opposite
side of their own household attain to
victory. 1t does not, however. appear
to the Eagle that there is anything in
the situation to justify either Republic
an exultation or Democratic despond-
ency ut this stage of the game. On the
contrary, as matters stand, we believe
the Democrats have more chances in
their favor than were on their side in
the early part of 1876, the year in
which they swept the country, but were
cheated out of the fruit of their labor to
the advantage of that darling of Repub-
lican politics, Rutherford B. Hayes. They
have not only on their side the discloS-
ure of the frauds OF all k nds practiced
under the hypocritical mask of the
Hayes Admins ration, but they have the
proof conclusive furnished by the fiasco
of the Star-Route trials under Arthur
that he who expects a corrupt party to
cleanse itself in office is looking for
what never did nor ever will occur; and
added to these are the evidences on
every hand that the men ia power have
failed alike in the work of fostering the
trade, maintaining or reviving the
shipping. uphold.ng the honor and
providing for the defense of the
country against its enemies. When
the average American citizen comes
to vote he will unquestioDably ask him
self what objects of interest TO him are
10 be subserved by giving the Repub-
licans another lease of power, and when
he asks the question he will have to find
mind more ingenious than his own to
furnish satisfactory answer The
fortresses without gun; the ships Of
war that excite the dcrision Of the
world; the Civil Service made obedient
to the most offensive political dictation;
the public domain divided between
great corporations; banking system
maintained for the benefit of bankers,
and not fer the people; race re.udices
fomented and repudiation made to do |
service for patriotism in the Southern
States; a President who, surrounded |
by the chief opponents of Republicanism
in the country. did honor to the organ
izer of the Star-route frauds and deemed |
it a glorious jest that this person had |
successfully corrupted commonwealth;
and, above all, the confessed prostitu- |
ton of the Department of Justice to |
political ends-these are among the i
things which will attract the honest
citizens attention; and they will |
not, in the Eagles judgment, seem
to him to be reasons for renew
ing trust SO often and SO grossly |
violated. With such an adversary what !
is there to prevent the Democracy from
securing the confidence of the people?
There is absolutely nothing if the party |
in both Houses of the National Legs |
lature have made an unassailable record |
for strict economy and integrity. By
them and not by Republicans the bur-
dens of the people have been lightened,
and from their presence. not from that
of their opponents. the lobbyists who
infested the chambers of Congress fed.
They can point to more than half the
States of the Union for proof of their
ability to govern wisely, and pre-emi-
nently to the State of New York. which
will be the heart of the Presidential
contest. There is no fair test which
can be applied to statesmen or to a
political organization which will not
present the Democrats as many times
over more worthy to rule this land than
the party whose foremost candidate to-
day is the hero of the Mulligan CORE
sp0ndence, whose last Speaker of the
House of Representatives was Keller
and whose present Chief Magistrate
was, and for all we know still is, the
eulogist and crony OF Dorsey. AS to
the fear of Democratic dissension we do
not see what there is TO base it on, I'M
less it be assumed that the minority
led by Mr.. Randall intend to bolt the
ticket if they are not permitted to name
the candidate or frame the issues. We
do not believe that Mr.. Randall has the
remotest thought of boiling, and we are
quite sure that if he did 50 he would not
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