Year: 1878

Principles, and not men," has
always been one of the leading arti-


cles of the political faith of the
} democratic party, and among those
: principles may be enumerated equal
and eract justice to all men, ezclusiUe


privileges to none" opposition to all
monopolies, rings, cliques and class
/; legislation; and the advocacy of
such measures as are believed to be
most likely to result in the greatest
good to the greatest number. Such
measures and principles have al
ways commended themselves to a
: very large class of the liberal mind


ed and intelligent voters of the coun
. try, especially among the laboring


and producing classes, and have
influential portion of the people.


And the great popularity of these
principles and measures has caused
: a great many tricksters, wire work


ers, demagogues and Office seekers


to join the party, many of whom are


ready to forsake it and join any


other party as they think they see


chance to get an office by so doing,


proving that they care but little


about principle. any further than


their own individual interest is


concerned. Such men 90 with the


party from the same motives which


influence camp followers to follow


an army, and would, Esau like,


barter away the best interest


Of the country and most sacred


rights of the people for one mess of
pottage. Democracy is government


by the people, for the people, and
no true democrat ever did favor
class Legislation, or such legislation


as would build up the interest of


few at the expense of the great
body of the people. 1t may be that
the party has occasionally been sold
by a few treacherous men claiming
to be democrats, but never by man
who was truly democrat in princi-
pie and an honest man. 1t has al |
ways been a matter of surprise to


me how anv man, who cares any
thing at al! about principle, could |
tell who he was in favor of for any |
political office, without first know
ing something about that mans po-
litical views; for a party without


principles is not worthy of the name
OF party in political sense; and
man who has no certain and well |
defined political views upon the
great and leading political questions


of the day, is unfit to represent any |
free and intelligent people. If we
are for any particular measure or
measures, and desire their success, |
we ought to act like rational men |
and to pursue that course which we !
| believe to be best calculated TO ac-
complish the object we have in view.


We can not give all of our friends a


big fat office, or keep every man in
office during life, who may be for


tunate enough to be once elected to |
office. The main question with the


Democratic fathers, so far as men


were concerned, was, "Is he capa-


BILE, is he honest?" That is, is he |
thoroughly acquainted with our


condition in life, does he fully un-
derstand our wants, does he care
| for our necessities, has he sufficient


intelligence and a sufficient ac-
quaintance with the affairs Of the
government to make us an efficient


preventative, and will he be true


to his trust? If he does not pos
sess all these qualifications, / care
not how great a clamor may be


raised in his favor, he is not quail
fed to be the representative of
| free and intelligent constituency


And 1 here predict that if the dem
ocratlc party shall fail to succeed in


governing the county, it will be


more on account of electing men to
office whose political sentiments are


not in harmonyGgith the party, and


who have been forced upon the


country by the clamor of rings,
tricksters and politicians than from


any other cause. But the hardness
of the times is causing many men


to think who have not heretofore
! been much in the habit of thinking
on political questions. And they |
are now beginning to see and feel |
| the necessity for something to be |
done, and they demand that some


thing shall be done, and no party |
will much longer receive the sup |
port of large majority of the peo-


people unless they are satisfied that


such party is faithfully trying To |
advance what they believe to be the


best interests of the country. They |
are unwilling any longer TO have !
everything they possess sacrificed |
! for the benefit of the bankers, bond |
holders and Office holders. They are


unable to see low the great body of |
the people or the government has |
been benefited by the contraction |
Of the currency, the decentralization


of silver, by converting a non-inter-


est bearing debt into an interest


bearing debt, or by converting a |
! debt payable in lawful money into a |
debt payable in gold, or by exempt |
ing the bond holders from paying |
taxes on their bonds or capitol when |
every other class of persons is re


quired TO pay taxes, and they are


not willing to have any man or party /
to represent them who tavors any
such policy. They know that the
United States is great country,
possessed of unbounded resources,
and they cannot see why United


States treasury notes, or greenbacks
as they are called, based as they are
on the property OF al the people o.
the United States, should not be a
full legal tender for the payment Of
all debts, both public and private,
or why the government or people
of the United States should be


made to pay tribute TO the bond


holders, when the bonded deDt is
perpetuated by the government sole
ly for the benefit of bondholders
and bankers, who contribute moth


ing to the support of the govern


ment in the way Of taxation; aud


they therefore demand change in


the financial policy OF the govern


ment And If those entrusted with


the control over their interest fsiI
TO try to secure the change, they |