Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-17
DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNMENT


party can make TO continuance
in power is that it has not wrecked
the government nor ruined the
country in four years. That II de-
serves some credit for this may not
be denied, but 1t hardly constitutes
the basis of claim for continuance
in power. A fairer standard by
which to Judge the party Is the
probable results of its continuance
in power during long term OF
years. On the latter point we have
the experience of the past to 30
by. The condition OF the govern
ment and county in 1860, when
the Democratic party had been IN
power almost without interruption
for forty years, illustrates the ten
dency and effect Of Democratic
rule. 1t had construed the Con-
stitution and administered the gov
eminent in the interest OF slavery
and free trade so long that their
original and legitimated purpose
had been almost lost sight of. The
Constitution and the government
as we now see them and the cOun-
try itself so far as its greatness,
progress, wealth and power are
concerned, have been practically
reconstructed and Tecreated since
1860. After forty years of power
the Democratic party lett the
government bankrupt and the
country on the verge OF a civil
war, brought about by its long and
seryils devotion to slavery. When
the Republican party came into
power Americans had a country
but hardly the semblance of a
government. The former was d.
vided and the latter had been
wrecked by the Democratic party.
The treasury was empty and the
public credict so low that the gov
eminent had to pay | per cent.
month for money to meet present
emergencies. The civil service
was debauched to the last degree
and houeycombed with treason.-
Trade was paralyzed and business
Frustrated. There were only 80
G35 miles of railroad in the United
States now there are 100, 900 miles.
More than four times as many miles
of railroad were built under twenty
years of Republican rule and pro.
lection as under the forty years OF
Democratic rule and comparative
free trade. Manufacturing was a
feeble industry, agriculture was
depressed and mining was com
paratively undeveloped. The ener-
gies of the government had been
devoted to protecting slavery and
cotton culture, and as these inter
ests we're opposed to n protective
tariff, American manufacturing
stood no chance. Letter postage
was three times as much as 1t IS at
present. There were no fast mails,
no railway mail service, no free
delivery, no money-Order system,
no international postal union. The
Union Pacific railroad had not
been built, and it costs 10 cents to
send a letter to California. The
paper currency of the country, con
sisting of State bank or private
bank issues, was fluctuatlng and
much of 1t worthless, great source
of loss to the people and a menace
TO business. The Democratic party
was opposed to national currency,
as it was to protecting national In.
dustries, or developing national
resources, always excepting cotton
and "Diggers" The inventive
talent of the country was dormant,
1866 patents being issued IN loIo,
against $4,000 in 1854. Public
schools, public libraries, the press
and all the agencies, and enginery
of national aud social life were IN
the same undeveloped condition.
We were but halt a nation with
less than half a government when
the Democratic party went out Of
power. The splendid contrast be-
tween the United States Of today
and the United States Of 1860 is
the best commentary on the diff
ference between the principles,
ideas and methods of the Repu5ll-
can and Democratic parties. The
latter has signalized its return to
power by declaring open war
against the economic and com
merclal policy under which the
country has enjoyed a degree of
prosperity unparalleled in history.
1t asks to be continued IN powerin
order that it may continue its war
on the system of protection to
American industries, aud thus
gradually reduce the government
aud country to the condition IN
which it left them in 1860. We do
not know any better or surer way
to reach that condition than by
doing away with the Republican
policy of protection and substitute
ing the Democratic policy of ''pro-
l. -