The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-03-05
The New Democratic Battle.Ury.

v
the whole ground. There is a classical
quality in 1t, and yet it is at the same
time modern and practical. 1t runs
like this: "The Augean stable must be
cleaned out with toothbrush" The
average Democrat hasn't the least idea,
to be sure, what an Augean stable is
like, or why toothbrush should be
called for in the work of cleaning it
out; but instinct tells him that its use
in this connection is to specify the Re-
publican party, and that the iigurative
toothbrush has reference to change
in the ollices-and he is ready, there
fore, to fill his mouth with It, so to
speak, and 90 to shouting as only
Democrat can shout ON the vital ques-
ton of spois
There is one serious difficulty in the
way of making such a cry effective.
Conceding that there is actually an
Augean stable in sight, and thatit needs
to be cleansed and fumigated, it does
not follow by any means that the people
are willing to turn the Democratic
party loose upon it with any kind of i'm
plements, or even wigh naked hands.
The experience of the country in that
direction has not been of character to
encourage such experiments. II the
Democratic party had never been in
control of the Government, and had
never given practical illustration OF its
spirit and capacity as custodian of
public funds and a manipulation of pub
lie expenditures, there might be ground
for supposing that it could coax ma
iority OF the voters of the United States
to intrust it with the management of
National affairs and the Inauguration of
an improved system of integrity and
economy. 1t so happens, however, that
it has record, and very plain and
impressive one at that; and the people
insist upon measuring its present pre-
lenses by its past conduct.
1t is part of the history OF our pol
itics, for instance, that under the Ad-
ministration of the great and. only Jack
son-the period of glorious summer in
the annals Of Democratic conquest and
supremacy-the defalcations amounted
to over SO, 7600O0 On every 81, 200 of
public funds handled there was loss
1882 Under the Administration of
Jackson's friend and successor, Van
Buren, the deialcations, or stealings,
reached the startling sum of over 3d.
34O, 900 in four years, or nearly Sl2 on
every $1,000 that passed through the
hands Of Democratic officials. The loss
under Polk was little more than 81
on each 81 900: under Pierce it was
$3.50; and under Buchanan it was
1881. Under the rule of the Republic
an party, on the other hand, the losses
have steadily diminished until now
they amount to only few cents on
each Sl,0j0- not so much as the annual
leakage in the cash accounts of the best
conducted private business firms or cor
porations. The contrast speaks for
itself, and shows very clearly what
might be expected If the Democrats
were given a contract TO "clean out
the Augean stable with n toothbrush"
There is another glaring historical
fact, recently certified by the Secretary
oil the Treasury, which has direct ap-
plication to this proposed toothbrush
crusade. In the latter part of the
Buchanan Administration bids were in
vited, under authority Of an act of Con-
gress, for $4,000, 600 Of Treasury notes,
the bidders to state the rate of interest
at which they were willing to loan the
money on said obligations. The bids
ranged widely from SIX to thirty-six per
cent, and finally the notes were dis
posed of at an average rate of over
eleven per cent. per annum, nearly one
half of the entire sum being ut twelve
per cent. This demonstrates In very
plain fashion that, after its long lease
Of pow, the Democratic party had to
pay four times as much for money as
we are now paying under Republican
rule. That is TO say, IL had SO man
aged the business of the Government
that the capitalist would not loan
money on the public credit for less than
twelve per cent, whereas he Is now
glad TO get three, though our indebted
ness is much larger than it was then,
and we have since passed through tinan.
cial trials of the most perplexing and
critical description.
The sober truth is that the Republic
ans have managed the National inter-
ests with more ability, skill and dis
cretion than any other party that has
ever controlled the Government In
comparison with the Democrats on that
score, their record is signally SURPRISING
and splendid. There Is no Government
on earth to-day that has its financial
affairs conducted with less OF corrup-
ton, extravagance and incapacity. In
this one respect alone. the Republican
party might safely 90 TO the country
and claim a renewed grant Of power;
and in no other respect, 1t Is safe to
say, has the Democratic party so little
TO offer in suggestion of its fitness for
the duties and responsibilities which Il
is so anxious TO have placed upon its
shoulders. When Democratic leaders
talk about "cleaniDg out the Augean
stable with a toothbrush" they pro.
woke contrasts that they would do
much better to avoid and prevent.
The Republican party is not in
fallib'e, and 1t has not always escaped
mistake or kept ba1 men from
bringing reproach upon IL; but when
square choice must be made between
it and the adversary with which it has
contended from the time of its organi-
zation, through all the perils and exac-
tions Of the most important quarter Of
a century in the country's existence, its
virtues and glories shine out in way
that leaves the intelligent and loyal citi-