Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-05-22
ISLANDERS Upon the Democratic
Party.


Mental philosophers teach that men
are by nature truthful that the first aud
natural impulse of everyone is to tell the
truth about any matter, and that 1t re-
auires a consderable mental exeriion
and forcing Of the will out Of its natural,
normal channel to concoct and utter
lie. This may be tr.e US general
proposition, but the rule don't appear to
work well when applied to politics.
The newspapers and speakers oi the
Republican party, during Presidential
campaign, land at any time, for that
inatter) can and do constantly and with
out fail give voice to the most shameless
and fragrant falsehoods in regard TO the
Democratic party and its members and
leaders, with the same apparent nat
urauess and ease that water, uncon-
fined, runs down hill. To Islander Dem
oerats SCENE TO bo their normal habit OF
thought For instance, we have il
dinned unceasingly that FIX President
Tilden is a physical wreck. that he Is
hopeless and helpless paralytic, and that
mentally he is in the last stages OF
senility and imbeciliiy. The fact is
established by q multitude Of living
witnesses Of undoubted res pectability
and truth, as well as by his own public
conduct and powerful letters recently
written on political topics. that he is
hale, vigorous gentleman, carrying his
years lightly upon him, and that his
mind is a prodigy of strength and brill
fancy. Another current falsehood with
our Republican brethren. Is that
this Venerable relic" this 'pitiable
imbecie," who, according to their story,
would be utterly incapable of planning
or doing anything beyond feebly con
templating his speedy exit from this
world, is engaged, with all the cunning
and deception OF Cagliostro and the
underhand genirs and subtlety OF n
Machiavelli, in plotting for his nomina-
tion for tho Presidency and buying up
influence with 'bar'l" Of money. This
Is the kind of history that our "high-
toned" Republican writers and speakers,
from Happer's Weekly down, are teach
ing the youth of America. Everybody
(Republicans included) knows the truth
TO be that this sublime old patriot re-
mains quietly at his peaceful home and
has never spent one cent or spoken
word or raised finger to advance his
political interests. Ii he should consent
to stand for the Presidency in the com
ing contest, it will not he from his
choice, but only because tho people of
this nation justly regard him as the EN-
bodiment of great principle, and that.
in Difference to their call and in obedi-
ence to his duty to his country as a
great statesman he will consent TO sacri-
flee his private interests and ease for the
public good.
And who ever knew of any Democrat,
at anytime or anywhere, using "barT"
of money Ito use the favorite Republi-
can phrase) in an electionY In the first
place, as shown notably yesterday, in
our dispatches from New York, reciting
how the bankers and other rich men of the
State of New \ ork have banded together
almost solid Tor Arthur, there are very
few rich men in the Democratic party.
The Democrats have not been fleeing
the government for twenty years. The
Democracy has not two hundred thou
sand office. holders to assess n corruption
fund of millions from; the national
banks, the great railroad companies, the
Western Union Telegraph monopoly
not one of them is Democratic. In few
isolated instances men like Gov. Tilden
have amassed wealth, but they have not
bought elections, and even they are not
rich in the sense that tho great corpora
tions and nonopolies control capital. W.
ii. Vanderbilt is about the only very rich
man we have ever heard of that has been
even accused of having Democratic lean
ings, and in a recent interview published
in one OF the leading Republican dailies
OF New York, in answer to the question
by the reporter, What is your politics.
Mr.. Vanderbilt" he replied, 81 am
Democrat. but always vote the Repub
lican ticket and assist it, in presiden.
tal year At other times, l don't take
much interest in politics" And when.
ever any great capitalist is classcd as
Democrat, that is about what his
democracy amounts to, with very few
exceptions. The Democratic party is
composed almost entirely of the labor.
ing and middle classes great pro
ducing elements-and Notwithstanding
the facility OF our Republican contempo.
raries for fasehood and slander as to
these things, whenever there are any
'bar'ls" to be dispensed, and States to
be corrupted las in tho csse of Indiana
in $780, their "God and morality party"
and not the Democrats do the wicked
work. 1t is about time that such false
sllnders on the Democratic party should
cease.