The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-05-02

ers Rebellion and the atiemp, 70 disrupt ;he
Union and destroy the Government Then
as now, the strength Of the party was IN the
Southern States. The Northern Democrats
known as Doughfsces, yielded to every
demsnd Of the Shareholders for the sake oi
the official spoils which united party had
AT It's disposal. The Solid South needed the
aid only Of a minority Of Northern voters to
give il absolute control. This minority Il
bourbt wear after year with the patronage it
contemptuously aGng 10 them, but gave III
tie heed 10 their cOunsels whenever any mat
ter of public policy came up in which the
interests OF the South or Of slavery were
concerned. To the protests Of their North
ern allies that any proposed measure was
unpopuIar with their constituents and was
liable to damage their own and the party ;
prospects. the Southern leaders paid no at
tention. but went straight on to the accom-
ulishment Of their ultimate purpose, which
was 10 degrade free labor and extend the
system Of slavery over the whole country.
In the whole country they were in minor
itv. but the slsve-oSners 50 used Their
strength as a sectional party that they were
enabled to do what they liked with the Ma
tioual Democratic organization, and through
that control the Federal Government 1t
was here that the Southern politicians de-
veloped what they call the ''genius for gov
eminent"
From 1852 to I560 they were in the saddle
and doing a great deal of rough riding The
predecessors Of Speaker Crisp and Senator
Harris. Of Vest and Mills and Band Of
tbe Breckinridges and KilgOres and the rest
Of them were lust as determined 10 have
their own way and force slavery into the
Territories at all hazards, no matter what
the effect might be on the Northern wing Of
the partv. as the present crowd Of statesmen
with the genius for government are to-day
to force an income tax upon the country
and compel the degradation Of the currency
bv the free coinage Of silver. Perhaps not
50 boastful and arrogant now as when they
last tried riding, booted and spurred, over
the entire North; for the ditching which
followed that enterprise is not yet quite Tor
gotten. The bullying OF To- day has not the
trucuIent tone and defiant swagger Of Wig
fall and Toombs and Atchison, but is not
less confident and overbesring. Crisp Illus
trates It in the House, and Isham G. Harris,
Of Tennessee, who, Of all men in the world,
ought, considering his war experience, 10 be
temperate in his utteranoes, If not subd dued
in his manner, daily exhibits it in the Sen
ate. These men care no more for the effect
upon their party at the North Of the income
tax and the free coinage Of silver than the
Southern Democrats in the Senate and
House during the Pierce and Buchanan Ad-
minisirations did Cor the effect Of the pro-
slavery legislation which they compelled
their allies to carry through Congress under
thecrack Of the slave drivers whip. The
genius for government manifested itself
then, a. ROW, in using Northern Democrats
as cats paws to pull Southern chestnuts out
Of the fire. Then, as now, they must have
laughed in their sleeves while doing 1t.
They know now better even than then that
the Northern Democrat who votes for the
measures they are urging drives a nail IN
his own political coffin with each vote they
did not care for it then, nor do they now
50 long as they either please or amuse their
immediate constituents.
Between 1884 and 1860 they saw the effect
Of their rule-or-ruin policy upon their
Northern allies in the rapid disintegratiOn o
the party and the consolidation of all th'
elements Of opposition in q new party based
solely upon hostility to the extension OF
slavery. They saw the Democrats lose State
after State until the North was almost solid
ly arrayed against them without abating
! iot Of their demands or moderating in the
least their arrogant or dictstOrial temper
Daring the last year they have been passing
through a similar experiences. The elections
every where throughout the North carry the
same lesson TO these men that the elections
between 1854 and IS6O did to their predeces
sors, and apparently to just as little purpose
/ Nothing IN their behavior at Washington
indicates the ightest capacity 20 profit by
them. They are still riding, booted and
spured, to their ultimate purpose, the alter
native of which is the defeat Of their allie'
at the North and the ruin Of their cherished
plans. A constant and unvarying succession
Of defeats disturbs their cOmpiacency now
no more than they did when between iS5-
and 1850 they were the forerunners Of dis
astrous National rout. Needless Of every
thing except the ignorant clamor OF theii
own constituents the Southern Democrat
are determined to force a sectional policy
upon their party, no matter what the con
sequences. The south is again actually il
the saddle, and it will ride the Democratic
party into the same Old ditch.