Year: 1876

, the people that on the confession O,
Samuel ]. Tilden, in the event of his
election to the Presidency, only his


naked word stands between them


and the doubling of the national


debt!


The Two Parties COntrasted.
New York Times, Oct l5I


| The three commanding questions


Of the hour are the Southern prob


lem, the financial question, and civil


service reform. How shall good or


der and equal rights be established


and maintained in the South? What


means shall be taken to place the


finances and the currency Of the


country on sound basis? What


shall be done to elevate and purify


the civil service of the country?


These ara the questions which chal-


lenge the attention of all patriotic


and thoughtful men. Which every


party offers the best assurance of


their satisfactory solution is the best


entitled to the confidence of the


country. How do the two great par


ties which are asking for the suffrage


Of the people stand on these vital


questions, and which OF them, by its


history, its professions, and the


character of its leaders, offers the


best guarantee of their satisfactory
settlement?


AS regards the Southern question,
IL must be kept In mind above all
that Ii Is the Republican party which
adopted the constitutional amend
ments abolishing slavery and guar
anteeing the right of suffrage to the
liberated slaves. True to its tradit.
ions, the Democratic party bitterly
and persistently opposed these great
measures, which completed the
work the war began, and for years
after the war closed, IL threatened to
overthrow them Ii it came into pow
er. At last, taught by successive de-


feats that the country would not
permit the results of the war to be
taruy hhu 'r6fdctant slfq1Jh; ~ Inc,s
accomplished, not as things desired.


1t cannot now claim the confidence
Of the country because of this grow
ing acquiescence in results which 1t
did Its best to thwart. Surely, no
sane man can say that the enforce
ment Of the constitutional amend
ments could be rs safely intrusted to
the party which opposed them while
being passed, and which for years
after their passage declared them to
be of no effect, as to the party which
adopted and enforced them.


No one deplores more than our
selves the sad condition of Southern
politics since the war, but we do not
forget that the trouble has been the
direct consequence Of the action of
the Southern Democrats, abetted by
their Northern brethren. Had the
Democratic party given a sincere
support to the constitutional
amendments, had IL treated the
freedman with common justice and
humanity and respected their newly
acquired rights, had 1t endeavored
to fit them for their new duties as
citizens, 1t might have won their
confidence, and at least have divi-
ded their votes with the Republi-
cans. In that case the Southern
question would long since have dis
appeared from politics, and the
wounds of the war would have been
happily healed. But it treated the
blacks with such bloodthirsty ami
mostly, and showed so utter disre-
gard OF their constitutional rights,
that II drove them en- masse into the
ranks OF the Republican party. 1t Is
no wonder that, with the ignorance
and credulity which slavery had en-
| tailed upon them, they should have
become ia many cases the easy prey
or the facile tools and accomplices OF
designing and unprincipled adven-
turers. The Republican party, M a
national party Is in no degree re-
sponsible for the condition OF the
South. The Southern Democrats
and their abettors In the north are
responsible for IL. 30 long as they
continue TO torture and murder black
men and Northerners, to burn school
houses, and to deny the freedom OF
| speech and OF the ballot, the South
ern problem will remain unsettled.
TO intrust the management Of that
question to the Democratic party
| would be to turn back the wheels OF
progress, to imperril the results OF


the war, and to expose the Repub-
licans Of the South, both white and


black to terrible danger, which we


Of the North, secure In our rights and


persons, can hardly appreciate.


| On the financial question the rec


ords nd attitudes Of the two par


ties are in equally strong contrast


1t Is the Republican party which ha'


stood true to the public faith, and By


a wise policy advanced the public


credit OF the country until It stands


among the formost in the world.


The Democratic party has been thu


consistent foe OF the public credit fol