Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-06-28
DIsTRUsT OF THE DEMOCRACY.
[From the Albany AUGUST

GAVIN w <AAoony AlSuol
HarPer's Weekly, discussing the political
outlook, declares In the usual authoritative
manner OF that paper that there Is one vital
consideration In the situation (which many
of the most vehement and dogmatic specula-
tors overlook" which, it proceeds to explain,
is 1.-THE profound distrnst of the democratic
party" Other "vital considerations are
mentioned, but they are of y nature which
the edition Of Harper's thinks necessary to
explain at length, whilst 1.-THE profound dis
trust Of the democratic party" is apparently
regarded as q sort Of automatic truth in poll
tics, requiring neither explanation nor proof.
Now If this complaeent editor will Just spread
political almanac before him and give ten
minutes careful study to the recorded history
OF the last twenty years, particularly the last
ten, we are confident he will find little evl-
dence Of the distrust of the democracy which
he has so ignorantly taken for granted.
We challenge him to find In all this period
o single case In which the people have de-
clared against the democracy OF q free vote
and fair count throughout the whole Union.
war and continued impossible for quite ten
years after the war. Indeed there has not
been q free, full vote and fair count in the
whole country since 1860. We made the
nearest approach to it in 1850, but the golden
stream which the star-route ring poured into
that campaign prevented the full accomplish
ment OF q fair count or q free vote even, as il
unanswerably evidenced by the fact that In
diana polied an aggregate vote equal to nlne-
ty-four per cent. Of its whole male popula.
lion over twenty-One years of age. There
could be no evidence of "profound disgusto
IN the only defeat the democracy has met in q
full vote OF the whole country, purchased by
such patent bribery.
Not let the republican party moraliZe upon
its own record. Since 1872 it has not been
able to elect q majority in the lower and
popular branch of congress, in despite Of the
combined power of intimidation, bribery and
fraud. Since the 4th of March, 1877, it has.
not had q majority of its own party on the
floor Of the senate. Since 1872 it has been
able to prevent the people seating a demo-
cratic majority in congress but once, anu that
Iime only by alliance with reputation in
slrginia. True enough, it has seated its
nominee In the presidency twice within these
ten years, but by fraud one time and bribery
the next. 50 5a.!.. 4.
These facts do not indicate 'sprofound dis
trust OF the democratic party" There was
no dlstrust in 1874, when-a democratic ma
Jorlty was sent to the lower house of con-
grsss; no distrust in 1876, when q democratic
congress and q democratic president were
elected; no distrust in 1878, when the demo-
cracy again carried the congressional election:
no distrust in 1881, when the democracy LOST
congress only through the coalition Of re-
publicanism and reputation in Virginia; no
dlstrust in 1882, when outraged public senti-
ment again reinstated the democratic ma
1ority in congress. Out of five congressional
elections IN ten years the democracy have
four victories to show; the republican party
an unbroken series of defeats. Now let
aarPer's Weekly. say which party the coun.
try dlstrusts.