The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-27
SILL ALIVE:
notwithstanding the Gloomy Prognostica-
lions of the Republicans the Democracy
Has Not Ruined the Country. ;Trif.. -r


Has Not Ruined the Country. ;frifH rr
There is hardly any good Repub-
lican, who voted for Blaine in 1884,
who may not do something for his own
political education by giving portion
of whatever time he sets apart formed
itation at the beginning OF the new
year to the consideration of the fears
about his country from which the ex-
perience of 1885 has delivered him.
There were intelligent men-we know
many of them ourselves personally
who thought one year ago that the
election of Il Democrat to the Presl-
iency would produce some terrible
financial disaster so great as to threaten
social order. We can recall one
wealthy and still active and prominent
Republican who predicted with much
solemnity in November, 1884, that in
one wear from that date workingmen
would, in the bitterness OF their suffer-
ing, be knocking down and robblng
the well-to-do in the streets OF this city,
without interference from the police.
We know of another who in a fit OF
mingled rage and despair offered to sell
his Securities at fifty cents ON the dol
lar
All through the country districts,
particularly in New England, there
rested on the souls OF Republican men,
and particularly on the souls OF Repub-
| lican women, the shadow of !: great
fear, with which the Republican ora
tors and journalists had for many years
filled the air. The old gentleman who
predicted the great robberies and the
gentleman who Offered to sell his prop
erty at half price, had in their minds
eve a general closing Of the factories
brought about by some mysterious
move of 4 Democratic Administration,
the exact nature of which they had
probably never Thought out for them
selves. The bulk of the party was in
fact in that most melancholy Of all sit
uations in which the citizens of free
democratic country can find himself
situation in which he sees at every
election all that he holds dear put in
imminent peril, in which the question
is not which of two parties will best
administer the Government, but wheth.
or the Government itself will last more
than three months.
The result was that Republicans went
to the polls and mounted the stump in
the alarmed, if not desperate and reck.
less frame of mind, of men who feel thai
they are on the eve of a battle which
will dispose of both life and fortune. 4
long succession of political. contest
Il conducted under such conditions woult
; of course in the end have proved fata
i, to constitutional government. Me-
long tormented by such fears final,
+ become ready for any refuge from then
: even despotism itself. The deliver
,, ance of the country from this hideou
nightmare during the past year is, "
do not hesitate to say, blessing onl
: second in importance to the suppressio
: of the rebellion, and hardly less neces
! sarv to the safety, honor and welfar
of the Nation. For it all Americans
T of all parties, ought at the opening {
= the new year to be profoundly thanh
full 1t means at last real peace an
. real security. '
: Only one degree less valuable is til
!. delivcrance from the Southern bu!
- bear, which also the past year has wi
= messed. Nothing but, actual exper
q ment would have sufficed to desire
:, the old tradition of the slavery peric
! that the Southern people had interes
= different from or opposed to those
: the North. There was in the Repu
= lican party II widespread belief that
!" they got into, power, or if a Preside
> were elected by means of their vot
;, they would in some manner, take il
, mense sums of money out of the Tres
:, ury-one estimate of the amount W
: $4,000, 900, O00-and divide it amol
- themselves, partly as compensation I
Il the emancipated slaves and partly
- compensation for other damage 81
y tanned during the war. How tn
- would get hold of this money, how tn
+ would persuade people to lend it to t
z. United States, if it were not to be
OF cured by taxation, and how they wo'
e. manage to have the taxation borne
he the North exclusively and not by 9
p South, was never explained, and pr
IT. ably few people ever asked themselv
re The phrase, "the Confederacy again
us the saddle" was in fact considered
VI sufficient answer to all cynical
"a mands for minute particulars.
~ Moreover although it was the pr
ge and boast of the Republican party t
Vt the war had destroyed slavery, and
"a though it was cardinal article in
We Republican creed that it was slav
tie which made the South hostile.to
les Union, nevertheless until last year
nd fact that slavery was really dead
Dr. never, thoroughly brought home to
Ely minds of the voters. Very much
~ the man who still feels pains in the
ID he has lost by amputation, the pr
Ter still felt the pangs of the old Soutl
ID their bones. and nothing but a De-
ad cratic triumph would ever have relic
to them. In the imagination of mi
Md tudes, the Yanceys, the Rhetts,
,es Brookses, and all the other fire-ea
a were still brandishing their planta
a whips, and preaching the degrade
no of labor, and threatening dissolu
ID, for the sake of the peculiar institut
red Clevelands election may be salt
the have banished all these phantoms f
ese the Northern brain.-N Y Post.
ley -s