Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-07-11
UEDENoCRATIC PARTY.


Sesaat0r Morrill,, in the July Forum.
The Democratic party in earlier days
had some fixed principles, everywhere
openly proclaimed: but it has none now
save whatever its national conventions
elaborate to fit such Presidential candi-
dates as Greeley, Hancock, or Cleveland,
and subject to quadrennial change and
mystificatiOn. Once States rights and
the resolutions of IS " were III the fore
front of the Democratic creed; but all this
has vanished, and no one now pretends TO
fear national invasion OF the rights OF any
State Another ringing article Of their
creed was hard money, Bentonlan gold,
instead of paper money, which they de
nOunced as being made only OF rags and
"lamp-blatk" Strange to say, there Is
hardly anything now that. can be invent
ed for circulation too cheap and too soft
and rickety for the major part of the
party. The time has been when the party
was wont to denOunce all internal i'm
prOyements as unconstitutional; but now
no appropriations for. such works appear
too eXtravagant to find elastic support in
la Democratic House of Representatives.
| The party once claimed as its patent OF
superiority the equal rights and privileges
of all men. but in eleven States such rights
|
millions of American citizens, by those
who masquerade and aim to dominate
under the name of the Democratic party
! The party, forgetting that it is itself, as
! the sole author of the rebellion, the sole
cause of the extraordinary necessity for
| the great increase of revenue, puts forth
the banner of revenue reform" under
which it covertly battles for free trade
! but quiverS and recOils from any deep cut
of tariff duties on Louisiana sugar, on
South Carolina rice, on Pennsylvania iron
Oh Tennessee marble, on North Carolina
peanuts. or on Florida oranges, being very
! largely products of some Democratlc dis
trict. and districts, therefore, dangerous
to touch with free trade reform, and in
clined to revolt. Once the Democratic
party was wont TO declare ana rHp6at that
" the executive power had increased, was
increasing, and ought to be diminished,
but in spite OF President Cleyeiands many
and frantic YetOes: iii spite OF his deposit
ing sixty millions of public money In pet
banks without interest and without law
| in spite of his appointments, without the
advice and consent of the Senate, of the
ministers imi4Hs the title to negotiate
! treaties; ia spite OF his attfmpts "a govern
Congress by giving or Withholding exec
utive favors in order to effect the repeal
of all duties on wool and to prevent the
rep6al of the internal tax OH tobacco, the
party made no protest against the undue
exercise of extraordinary executive pow
er, which seems to have reached growth
not less colossal than that under the adj
ministratiOn of General Jackson, when
| Calhoun denounced the Democratic party
as bound tOghther by the cohesive pow
ser of public plunder." To secure a re-
election. besides his reported financial
contribution, the President set forth in
his aan4al message his free trade pOliti-
cal sentiments, which, had thag baan pre-
viously known, would undoubtedly have
defeated his first election. As candi-
date for third time he may have the
support of the Nsw Y6rk Tammany So
ciety, but with no vehement adherents
elsewhere.