Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-11-22
LET It Die"

ever from its defeat of 1884 and over
threw its opponent with overwhelming
force, the Democratic leaders were not
slow to see the lesson taught. Even so
staunch a defender of the Democratic
faith as the Chicago Times reads the
signs Alright and, giving up all hope,
pours forth a dismal wall of defeat.
saying that the Democratic party never
can and never will win another victory.
The following is its carefully pre-
pared review of the situation:
The recent presidential election has
shown that there is AL invincible reason
why the Democratic party can never
via National victory. 1t is that the
youths of this Republic are not Demo
erals. The SONS OF Democratic fathers
have grown up Republicans. So long
as slavery and the war fingers within
the memory OF Americans the youths
of the Republic will continue to grow
up Republicans; and slavery and the
war will be remembered aS long as the
public school system exists.
The public schools have slain the
Democratic party with the text books.
1t is VAIN for statesmen to declare that
there We're as many Democrats as Re-
pubhcans in the Union army. 1t is
vain TO affirm that the war for The pres.
eIvation of the Union could not have
been carried Ia successful close with
out the aid of the Democratic party.
II Is idle for philanthropy to suggest
that the altitude of that party toward
the war in the beginning was humane
one; that it was inspired by the higher
and D-tter wish that the cause of the
conflict should be peaceably removed,
and The spillIng of brothers blood by
brothers. hands avoided. The Demo
cratic party has been ideally identified
with slavery and slavehOlding. The
Republican party is ideally identified
with emancipation and the war.
Therefore are the youths of the coun-
Try incapable of being Democratic.
therefore the Democratic party can
never win a National victory. Its old
men are dy ing away.
The boys who catch the ballots that
fall from their sIitfened hands are Re-
publicans. This fact cannot be denied.
1t will do no good to quarrel with IL.
All other Causes which have operated
to diminish the number OF Democrats
and increase The number of Republi-
:anS are insignificant beside this one
tremendous and invincible fact. The
curse of slavery has poisoned The blood
and rotted The bone of the Democratic
party. Tie maledictiOn of the war has
palsied its brain.
The young wife who held the babe up
to kiss the father as he hurried to The
tap of his departing regiment has not
sucked Democrat. The weary foot
of the gray grandmother, who watched
The children while the young wife was
busy, has not rocked the cradles OF
Democrats. The chair that the soldier
father never came back to fill has not
been climbed upon by Democrats. The
old blue coat That his comrades carried
hack was cut up for little jackets, but
not TO c,Iver the heart of the Democrat.
The ratified musket that fell with his
last shot became a thuughtIess toy Of
with it MAS the hand of Democrat.
The baby lie kissed crowed and GROVE d
Tor his return, and ITS unwilling and
unanswered uuteS were not from the
throat of Democrat. The tear-solled
camp letters which the mother lead
aloud in the long, bitter evenings white
the boys clustered at her knees did not
all upon D-mucratic ears. The girls
5obs, Blended with the mothers Weep
ing, did not make Democrats of their
brothers. Perhaps the father had been
Democrat all his lifel
The children go TO school. There is
lot Democrat on its benches. The
tirSt reader Contains the portrait of
Abraham LlncOln-that kind and stnr-
dt face never made Democrat. On
It's simple pages IN words uf one or two
>Sllables, is told the story of his birth
and death. That story never made d
ground that name SlienceS the frolic-
some and makes the jOlliest grave.
rme name never made d Democrat. liz
t'e pictures that light up the geogra-
ply are the firing on Font Snmpter and
ine death of Ellsworth. Those pic
lures make no Democrats. The first
page Uf the history contains repre-
>-niaIion OF The surrender OF Lee at
Appomatt"x. No boy gazes OIL that
Graf.
La the higher grades the same subtle
aud unresisted influence is at work
The text book contains extracts from
patriots speeches during the war
Those speeches make no Democrats.
The great battles are briefly described.
The narrative has no Democratic lis
Jeners. The strain of martial music
runs through the readers, and that
music makes no Democrats. Sketches
of the great generals are given; the
brave deeds arouse the enthusiasm OF
the lads. but there is no Democrat
.mong them. The horrors and suffer-
Jugs of the saves are told; the mad
dened blood that mounts to the boy g
cheek is not Democratic blood. The
curse Of slavery has pursued the DE- m
cratic party and bounded it to its
death. Therefore. let it die; and no
ip will be found to say prayer over
he " IS on lsgrave.
T. late defeat may not be attribn-
ed to any other causes. Other causes
W, re al work, but they were only incl
dental. The tariff was one. Section
Ism was secord. ''Let well enough
lone" was third. The October fail
IRE i'm Indiana was q fourth. But all
'hese were trivial, and together could
not have accomplished the result
The result was accomplished because
the youths of the Republic are moi