The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-21
DEMOCRACY, VICE AND IGNORANCE.

ships, and makes itself at home in the Demo
cratic camp Adjusting itself to its wonted
surroundings, after an absence Of quarter Of
century, it makes discoveries that the rest
of the newspaper world knows nothing of. 1t
prefaces its revelation by acknowledging that
'the Democratic party has, for thirty years at
least, been suffering from the adhesion Of the
vicious and ignorant portion Of the foreign
vote The Post ingenuously pretends to
not understand how it happened that this ele-
ment was won to the Democratic party; ''but
there is nothing, it says (which has done so
much discredit to the party at the polls
in those States and districts in which
the industrious, moral and religious native
voters most abou/d, and which have been
until now the great Republican strongholds."
The Post is right in making this confession;
it cannot be Faithfully denied. But when it
proceeds to say that Gin the last canvass the
vicious and ignorant, under some influence
about the nature of which there is more or
and are now component part of Republican
strength" it says that which the facts do not
sustain. The Republican party undoubtedly
won largely from the "vicious and ignorant"
if the Post cares to put large number of
decent and intelligent Irish Catholics
in that category, for the reason that
the Catholic Church has no charity
for men guilty of the offense admitted
in behalf of the Democratic candidate, while
others, equally honorable and intelligent, were
won to the Republican side by the brilliant
craftsmanship of the Republican nominee, and
because thinking lrishmen declined longer to
follow Democratic English free trade. That
we do not misrepresent the Post in sayingsit
refers to the decent Catholic voters who saw
fit TO leave the Democratic party, may be
proved by its apology to that church in this
connection. 1t says:
eve mean nothing disrespectful to the
Catholic Church when we say that there are
more of her members who feel touchy about
any disrespectful illusions to rum" than of
any other religious denomination in New
York, but such is the fact"
Immediately following these words with
but period between, the Post stultifes itself
by saying that rum Catholics were driven
back into the Democratic ranks by DR.. Burch-
ards fatal blunder so that, if this be true,
the "vicious and ignorant are still where
they have been for thirty years at least, in
the ranks of the Democratic party. The words
of the Post are:
cit was the vicious and ignorant Demo
Gratis, so often denounced on Republican plat
forms, whom DR.. Burchard's ALTERATION
offended, if it offended anybody, and it is
they whom the Republican ridicule and abuse
of this divine since the election are intended
to pacate and win back to the Republican
party
The Post further reveals the lack of conf
dence it has in its own assertions in the matter,
by saying that eff the Democratic party fol-
lows the Presidents lead, these voters (the
Catholics) will stay where they now are, in
the Republican ranks. And "if" they do,
"the Republican managers will have to work
down to their leve as the Democratic man.
ayers once did" 1t will be observed that this
is big eff" no evidence of the accomplish
ment of which has yet been adduced.
The Democratic party is yet in possession
of the vicious and ignorant elements that
have chung to it 'for thirty years at least
If any man has an honest doubt of this let
him look over the field of politics and see
where Democracy won its majorities. The
first glance shows that the liberal, intelligent,
progressive North is Republican. The still
narrow and vicious South is Democratic. and
by methods of fraud and violence that would
shame savagery. The last election turned on
the vote of the State of New York, in which
the Democratic party received plurality (not
majority of /, l49, being in the minority of
the total vote Of the State by over 10000.
How was the State Of New York carried
for the Democratic candidates. Blaine
sscame down to Harlem bridge" with
plurality of 57.726, representing
the honest and intelligent portion
of the State. Then, with the vicious and
ignorant bummers of the slums of New York
city and Brooklyn, the Democratic party over
came this plurality, and gave MIR. Cleveland
the very marrow margin quoted. But for GER
tain wards in those two cities, where human
life is not worth $40 a head but for police pro-
lection, Blaine and Logan would have received
New Works electoral vote, and a total of 218
to but 1873 for Cleveland and Hendricks. The
election turned on bnmmerism, and hummer
ism has, 'for the last thirty years at least
pronounced in favor Of Democracy, with all
that that implies.