Year: 1872

|


Still believing that Passivism is the
only proper policy for the Democracy o.
South Carolina in the next election fol
State Officers, I have to request that you
will re-publish the. subjoined extract
from an address lately issued by the
State Central Democratic Committee ot
Missouri to their constituents. The E1-
tract is clipped from the "North Mis-
souri, Register" Of the 9th January last;


Address of the Democratic state


Central Committee.


RooMs OF THE DEMOCRATIC STATE


CENTRAL COMMITTEES.


ST.. LOUIS, Jan. 8. ".


To the Democracy of Missouri:
The occasion seems opportune for your
Central. G Committee to review, in the hight
of accomplished facts, tho course pursued
by them in the political campaign of 1870.
When in the early part of that year this
committee resolved, after carefdl reflection
and consultation with many eminent
Democrats Of andoubted attachment to
Democratic principles, and unquestioned
patriotism, to abstain from the contest for
State officers then about to begin; they
assumed a responsibility not clearly au-
thorized by the terms of the trust which
YOU had conhded to their hands; but they
did not take the step without the high
warrant of the approving acclamatlon of
nearly the entire body Of the Democratic
masses. Nothing but this almost unani-
nous approval could take the place of the
decision Of State convention, and justify
your committee in the usual course pur
sued. But the discussion of the PROPOSE
ton proved that the Democratic masses of
Missouri had instinctiyely discovered the
very method which commended its elf to
the attention of your committee, and were
pointing to it as the only swift and peace
full course of delivsrence of our people
from the fetters Of a proscriptive and par.
tisan rule that was estranging them from
their political rights and duties, and threat
ening to extinguish the spirit of popular
liberty. The adoption of the method was
instantly followed by the effects which
had been looked for. Scarcely had the
committee formally and in unquestioned
faita, proclaimed that the Democratic par
ty would make no nominations for Cover
nor and the other State Offices, but would
leave the contest for those high positions
entirely to the Republicans, than dis
sension among our opponents, till then
conducted with little spirit and marked
with no significance, began to expand into
the irreconcilable quarrel which proddcsd
the Liberal Republican schism ofSeptember,
1870 at Jefferson City, and inaugarated
the subsequent instructive and men1ora-
BILE canvass. Almost at the outset Of this
contest it assumed its inevitable aspects.
The Liberal Republicans took the position
of the absent Democracy on the questions
of the campaign, and foug hit the battle
against the proscrptiye policy that had
afflicted the State, # not with more cour-
ACE and zeal, at least with happier sue
cess than the manacled Democracy had
been able to fight it in previous contests.
Attic lgh at first it involved only one I'M
portant. but local question, it came to en-
brace the national questions Of tariff, civil
service REFORM and the right Of presden-
tial interference in state elections and not
only did the Liberal Republicans assert
the Democratic doctrine on these subjects
but.thev became the Jealous and elective
opponents of the disfraschisement which
their own party had imposed ON the peo,,
ple-casting aside party obligations and
allegiance, and boldly defying the ven
pcaace of the national executive, to effect
tbe restoration of free government to the
State, and to re-inyest one-thlrd OF the
qualified voters of Missouri with the sa-
cred right of suffrage of which. for five
years, they had been unlnstly deprived.
Democrats could not and did not remain
Indifferent to such struggle. Their wa
yer of right to contest tae State offices
did not impair their coherency nor lessen
their devotion to time-honored principles.
They had made sacrifice Of party pride
and claims for the purpose of efectlng
great and patriotic purpose-the deliver
snce of their prescribed fellow citizens from
harsh disability and they felt no an I
noyance in seeing that the effort OF the
Liberal Republicans to effect that same
object promised to.be more successful thar,
the past efforts of their own party had
been. They found too that this sacrifice
was not without compensation, for, in alb
staining from the contest, they became
the arbfters of it. Their reservation OF
the power to contest the elections for mem,
bers of Congress and the Legislature, and
for the local officers, secured the compact
ness of their organization against all dis
persing influences; and the marked differ
ence Of spirit between the contcndinrg. par
ties and the executive interference IN favor
of the regular ticket showed them how to
use their reserved power in the cause OF
free principles and constitutional govern
ment. They gave the benefit OF their
large vote to the liberal minority, and Sc
cured the election of its State ticket by
decisive majority of more than forty thou
sand votes. ,.,,


The result of the election was little less
than revolution of the State govern
ment. A number Of our fellow. citizens,
yariously estimated at fifty to a hundred
thousand, who had been dlvested oil their
sutfrages were re-enfranchiscd System
of registration that had been the prolihc,
cause of fraud, favoritism, oppression and
crime. was abolished; counties that had
been deprived of representation, or had
Leen ulisrepresented in the legislature by
persons not chosen by the people; were
re e-admitted to their constitutional right;
majority Of. Democrats and Liberal ne
publicans were chosen to the Legislature
a large majority of the counties OF the
State were transferred from the control OF
the proscriptive party to the hands OF
Democratic Liberal Republican local ofti,
GERS and the party that had governed
the State for years with rigor of rule
unexqmpled in its history, was suddenly
shorn of nearly all its power;


The State government which was cno'
sen with the assistance of Democratic votes
has fulfilled all the reasonable expectaa-
tons on. which those votes were cast, IL
has given us Just and economical ad-
ministration of the affairs of the common.
wealth, which has recognized its indebted
ness to the element that elected IT by call
ing into the public service full proper
ton Of patriotic Democrats whose high
character did not exempt them from vlr-
.tual ostrscisn during the rule OF the
| proscriptive party; demanded other quail
i6cationrs for public duties and honors than
tho simple one of demonstrating loyalty :;
and changed society. dlserdeted and DIS
quieted BY tie painful and compulsory,
agencies devised to maintain the power Oh
a minority, into a healthful body polite
reposng contentedly in the consciousness
of selfSoovernmant. When we contrast