The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-10-16

Madison nor Jefferson with their declared
opinions on slavery could command the sup
port Of the Drmocl attic party for The Presi-
dency passed unchaenged.
Then came The war of the Rebellion, and
with but one exception every State which
seeded from the Uuion and Joined the Con-
federacV whose chief corner stone as Alex
auder FL. Stephens asserted was chat,el
slavery was State which in the last pre-
ceding election voted for John c. Brecken-
ridge for President who had been Vice Pres
ident in The Democratic administration OF
James Buchanan. The exception was Vlr-
gnia which chose Bell and Everett electors
by plurality of only 35e the united Demo
cratic vote for Breckenridge and Douglass
exceeding the vote for Bell by about 1900.
Slavery was nouI ished and fosier.d ia it's
arrogant demands until it dared defy the
constitution and the constitutional issue of
fair election by the Democratic party, the
controlling wing of which was composed of
the slave owners, the worst foes of free la
Dor, and the submissive impoteut wing of
which was in the North.
Does some one say what has all this 10 do
with present conditions? That is easily an
swered. In the first place, the Democratic
party lies when il claims to have been al gays
the friend and guardian of The interests of
free and independent laboring men. Down to
the end of the war its whole influence had
been hostile to their interests. It was the
slsveholding Democracy and their Northern
allies which defeated homestead law as
often as it was introduced during their era
of control, and it is impossible 10 name
single act of the National Democratic party
during that long period which was not in
the interest of the few hundred thousand
Gamers OF chatte slaves rather than of the
millions struggling for the better opportuui-
ties Of freedom. Ia the next place. the
Solid South, not yet emancipated from it's
baibarous sentiments concerning labor and
the rights of men who Labor, control the
Democratic party to-day, and that South is
solid and has the power of it's soldity only
by the fraud and tyranny of the minority
which denies the laboring men of that sec
ton their just rights as citizens, and forces
the results of elections contrary to the
known will of the majority which cannot
get fair expression.
The theory of the Southern Democracy is
that few wealthy and educated men ought
to have and to exercise all the powers OF
government, and are justified in suppress
ing by any means opposition to their mo-
nopoly OF this privilege whenever the oppo-
sltion becomes threatening And as they
conspire to prevent the working men of the
South from exercising their just influence
politically they conspire to keep them in a
subject condition as Incompatible with their
power to assert their right to just wages and
fair opportunities in life as it is with their
assertion of political opinion. The Demo-
cratic party of the Norh in its lust for
power, strikes hands with the oligarchy of
thu South now as before the war and what
ever professions it may make it cannot be
trusted as a national parry to do anything
for the advantage or elevation of the work
ing classes which will interfere with the gu
premacy of the aristocratIc class in the
Southern States. l. is now as formerly the
party of the most oppressive and offensive
labor monopoly that exists within The boun-
daries of the republic, party from which
free, intelligent, honest and aspiring work.
ing men have nothing to expect. Their
only hop. of Independence and elevation is
by constantly defeat ng It.