The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-07-17


against class, to secure the sanction of
law for the promotion of class interests
at the expense Of tho interests of the
whole people, we might as we'll burn
the Declaration OF Independence, abolish
the Constitution and write down in his
tory the failure of self-government by
the people.
For quarter Of century the Re-
publican party has been legislating on
that line, and the opposition to its
policy has grown stronger and stronger
ever year, until it stands condemned by
the overwhelming sentiment of the poo
pie. After having struggled against
this policy for so many years and faced
defeat so often for principle, is this
time to barter our heritage for the
promise OF mess of pottage?
THINK OF IT.
When the war closed the Republican
party ruled every State In the Union but
seven. 1t had a two-thirds majority in
both branches of Congress, the Presi
dency and all the patronage and power
of the government behind it 1t had
cut slavery out of the Constitution with
the sword, and pinned the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to
it with bayonets. 1t had placed the
| heel of the slave on the neck of the
master in eleven States, and turned
them over to the tender mercies of the
thief,"the carpetbagger and the advent
urer. The Democratic party lifted up
the white man and armed him with the
ballot. 1t restored home rule and hon
est government. II has fought the
battles Of the masses against the classes,
growing stronger even. in defeat, until
the hearts OF majority of the people
are with it in the struggle, Twice it
has elected the President, and in the
the last Presidential election it recorded
a large majority of the popular vote,
though beaten in the electoral college
by the most shameless bribery and COR
ruption in the pivotal States 1t has
controlled the Senate once, and has
held power in the popular branch of
Congress twelve out of the last sixteen
years In the last State elections it
elected thirty out Of forty-four gov
ernors of the States, Repeatedly
it has formed the lines and led the
forces Of the people right up to certain
victory, but on the eve of every strug-
gle we find men going through our
ranks, saying: "The Democratic party
has done nothing for you" 1T is not
much better than the Republican
party" st cannot win" 1T is not
making the fight on the right princi-
PIES" ut will not do to trust its
leaders"
AS long as the people permit them
selves to be divided up by such talk the
Republican party will retain power in
! some branch of the government if not
in all. We have so often seen certain
J victory turned into disastrous defeat by
such methods that it would seem every
voter in the United States ought to be
, able to see through it by this time, and
, 30 understand that we must either win
the fight by adhering to certain we'll
5 defined principles, or we cannot win al
, all. Having fought the Republican
= party for thirty years, and educated the
q people to believe that class legislation
d is a crime against the masses, it is not
= reasonable to believe that they can be
4 changed on the eve of battle into al
+ army to demand and fight for class legis
$ lation. The people hurled the party o
r class legislation from power last veal
a by an unprecedented majority, and those
i who did it will not be ready to abandon
g the principles next year on which they
won that splendid victory.
:. If the voters OF the United States
o could have witnessed the spectacle pre-
O scented at the national capitol during tn
fl existence of
@ REEDS CONGRESS
g they would with one mighty blow crust
@ and destroy the whole fabric Of class
e legislation, and Danish into politica
d exile forever its friends and advocates
It The spectacle presented by that Cor
i gress was one never to be forgotten, an
7, the record it made is so black with pre-
j. moditated crimes against the peopl
II that all the centuries of unrecorde
IS time cannot bleach it.
e The Fifty-frst Congress was beset b
d the harpies of class legislation, and tn
If greedy horde lowered about the capitc
l. like buzzards around a carcass. Th
10 program mapped out By the represents
4 tives Of Dives at the feast of Belshazzi
at Pittsburg was placed in the hands (
the Speaker Of the House for execution
n 1t contemplated the passage of the M
l. Kinley bill, the establishment of ii
is gold standard, the depletion of the puI
o. lie treasury through pension jobber.
I'd and all sorts of dishonest and CORFU
"a schemes: and the Force Bill. which We