The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-03-15
The Democratic Gospel
How The Statesmen Would Help
The "Poor Laboring Man."


mining and manufacturing region are
familiar with the electioneering
methods of the Democratic politicians.
The agonizing of these tender-hearted
statesmen has been most wonderful
to, behold. There has been, as rule,
a studied avoidance Of all attempts at
intelligent reasoning Or sensible
argument. The whole effort of the
campaign managers Of the Democratic
party has been to arouse the pre-
Ijudices of the people addressed. A
poor man, or hungry man, has
always been regarded as an excellent
theme for Democratic oratory, and
the strange part of such experiences
is that good men have occasionally
looked upon the fearful pictures
drawn by Democratic demagogues,
and affected to see something in them
worthy the consideration Of an
Intelligent man. But it is source
of qualification that the intelligent
workingmen are becoming better and
better acquainted with Democratic
methods, as one campaign succeeds
another.
The "panic" was sweet morsel to
the Democracy, and the orators sent
out to teach the people, actually
moved sympathetic Democrats to tears
by the sad pictures held up before the
public meetings. While the Republi-
can speakers appealed to mems brains,
the Democratic orators appealed to
their stomachs; while the Republicans
sought to build up patriotic ambition,
and a desire for the best possible
government, the Democrats taunted
some poor fellow because he had a
Free Trade badge upon the seat of
his trousers; while the Republicans
taught a nobility of manhood and a
righteous craftsmanship, the Demo-
Gratis sneered at the poorer class of
men because Of their poverty. As a
point in illustration: A few years ago,
that demagogue. Of admirable wind
but reprehensible method, Sam.
Cary, addressed a meeting of working
men, at Jackson. In his zeal to earn
his money, the sympathetic Sam.
cried out: "Why, Mr.. Laborer, why
don't you buy your wife new calico
dress? Because you haven't the
moneyrAnd two, or three persons-who
spent their money for whisky and
never bought their wives anything
were wonderfully worked up over the
''great speech" But the mass of the
intelligent workingmen of Jackson
who under the protection policy and
doctrine Of the Republican party,
were able to clothe their wives in
silks-merely laughed at the nonsense.
This same method has been kept up
by the Democratic demagogues, and
the exciting year Of 1888 will witness
the Democratic demagogue at his
best. For many years the party
leaders have persistently denied that
their party was distinctively party
Of Free Trade, and consequently an
enemy to American industry. This
year, however, thanks to the awkward
ness and conceit of President Cleve-
land, the party is placed squarely on
the issue of Free Trade. The act Of
SO placing the party on record',was so
sudden that many Of the party leaders
stood aghast for the time, but there
was the party, as the champion Of
Free Trade, and the best thing to be
done was to attempt to convince the
people that the party was right,
notwithstanding the well known fact
that the abler Democrats were bitterly
opposed to the Presidents position.
The work Of educating" the people
is already under way. And what is
the character of this new Democratic
gospel?
The astounding argument is
presented to the great, intelligent
people of America, that the most
beneficial thing for American manu-
faetures that can be done, is to
inaugurate system that will prac-
tically ruin the manufacturing
interests Of the country. That is, in
communities where, for instance, iron
is largely manufactured, and men are
paid wages upon which, by the exer-
else Of frugality, they can subsist, it
would materially better their condition
to compel the manufacture of the
iron at lesser rate, in order to
compete with the manufactures of
laborers who are virtually paupers.
The new Democratic gospel teaches
that anything having tendency to
cut down the manufacturer profits
will increase the laborer's wages-or,
the less money the manufacturer gets
for the production of the labor, the
more he will pay the laborer for
producing. That is the character of
the arguments that will be howled |
through the School Districts of this
country between now and November.
Gen. D. FL. Strother ("Porte Cray
on'') died a few days ago, in West
Virginia. He was for a long time
connected with Harper's Monthly,
and his sketches, both from an artistic
md literary point of view, were