Year: 1876

What Would They Do!


How good the Democrats will be if they
can come once more into power!


Political parties when out of office are never
very sparing in their professions of goodness
and purity. Wherever responsible govern
ment exists the 'outs'' accuse the s'ins'' of
lying. theft and extravaganza. When Glad
stone is Premier and brings in his annual
budget, Disraeli Invariably accuses him of
having cooked his accounts and falsely repre-
sented the condition of the finances in order
to conceal tie most culpable waste and the
most deplorable incapacity. And when Mr..
Gladstone chances to sit on the opposition
benches he returns with usury the compli-
ments of his rival. The charge of criminal
mismanagement and ignorance which can be
cured only by transfer of power to the oppo-
sition is so much matter of course that even
the strict decorum of the British Parliament
does not prevent its being made in the bald
est manner. Whether the unemployed poll
tician be Whig or Tory, Bonapartist, Legiti-
mist, Radical, Orleanist or Democrat, his in
variable declaration is, "These rascally office
holders confuse and mismanage everything
They are great thieves and are.eating us out
of house and home. But if you will let us
come in, we will be very, very good" But
oftener than otherwise the long-suffering tax
payer finds himself repeating in some form,
after the golden age has once more failed to
follow change of administration, that mem
orable lament of Tacitus-"other men rather
than other Manners


All this is rather dscouraging to persons
not blessed with sanguine temperaments.
Too often have they heard the outs saying, in
the language of Absalom, which is the regu-
lar opposition formula in all ages and coun-
tries, so that were made judge in the land,
that every man that hath any cause might
come to me and I>would do him justice"
Too often, when this aspiration bas been le-
allied, have they seen the counsels of some
wicked Ahithophel followed, to the conster-
nation of the righteous and the ruin of the
state. They know that Prince Harry, when
he comes to power, is much less likely to fol.
low the advice of the good Chief Justice than
that of some more congenial Falstaff who
says to him with the freedom born of old as
ISOLATION; "Rob me the exchequer, the first
thing thou doest.' They know, too, that
history is full of proofs that the worst antici-
pations in regard to change of rulers are
much more likely to be realized than the
best. There IS nothing, indeed, more touch
I'M In bo of hu, @l,o
high hopes which have been almost Uniform
ly entertained in regard to the accession of
what proved to be the worst rulers that have
ever cursed the world. Those miracles of
cruelty and debauchery, the successors of
Augustus. were, all of them, including Nero,
hailed with acclamations on their first inves-
titure with the purple; and it was confident
ly expected that they would give to their peo-
pie happiness and prosperity. The French
thought their troubles would be over when
Louis XIV. came of age and could rule. The
new prince and the new year are always very
bright in anticipation, but how speedily are
the glories of both of them tarnished


1t is hardly worth while to discuss the
probable action of the Democracy in case
they should have an opportunity TO prove the
sincerity of their present extravagant pro-
fessions, tor of them majority of the peo-
pie have so profound dstrust at the start
that they are not likely to become our rulers
at present. But there are one or two points
which may be profitably considered for the
benefit Of those few Republicans who have
been deluded by the emphatic and reiterated
assurances that Tilden would make desira-
BILE chief magistrate, that he would keep in
check the worst elements of his party aud
that, consequently. all would be well with
| the republic. Now, if it should in some
mysterious way which is now unforeseen and
unexpected, come about that the Democra S
find on the eighth instant that they have OBJ
tained control of the government for the
next four years, it is morally certain that
two things of an extremely unpleasant ma
ture would happen at once, even before their
| induction into power.


| First. we should hear again the rebel yell,
| loud, shril and menacing 1t would come
| up from all The South in tones SO clear and
decisive that none could ignore it. The
| counsels of prudence and Mr.. Tiden's dis
suasions would be impotent to check it in the
face of general Democratic victory. Often
before it has been heard, but half smothered
when few Northern States have by theil
temporary return to the Democracy raised
an expectation of general reaction. Lei
there be Democratic President and there


will not for one day continue to be doubt


whether the spirit of the Confederacy is still


alive and active.


Second, the national credit. at home and


abroad, would be found to have received &


serious blow. The very remote possibility o


a Democratic triumph has already had an ap


prec!able effect in that direction. 1t is, there


fore inevitable that the actual existence o


that which is now only vaguely anticipated


as possible contingency would create wide


spread distrust of our national good faith


What wonder? Are they who opposed al


the expenditures by which this debt was ac


cumulated and all the methods and contracts


employed by those to whom its management


was entrusted-they who have occupied


themselves up to this very day chiefly will


the consideration of schemes for evading O.


repudiating it, the men to give the world as


surances of its sanctity? They have alread.


foreshadowed several methods by which the,


would attack the public credit Their candi


date for Vice President is the representative


man of the faction which favors that form o


reputation which is involved in the green
back heresy. And the Southern Democrats