Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1882 — SENATOR BAYARD’S VIEWS. [ARTICLE]

SENATOR BAYARD’S VIEWS.

Cause and Effect—Living Questions. Senator Bayard, of Delaware, was interviewed at Washington the other day relative to the results of the election and the future of parties. He said: “It is too early at this moment to estimate up all the consequences of this political inundation, or to tell precisely where the channels of future party action will be found. The country just now is something like Holland with-the dikes down, and the natural features of the landscape temporarily submerged. Believing in parties only as means to an end, my earnest hope is that the Democratic party, which has now had long training in adversity, may fully comprehend the situation, and not belittle itself by classifying the late election* as mere party triumphs. It matters little how the result was caused. It illustrates the power of the people, acting in their primary capacity as citizens at the polls, to relieve themselves from bad rulers and evil methods by the peaceful forms of election; and this vindicates the American principle of government. “The result now is to throw the control of the Governments of the group of central States —‘hose chief in wealth, population and political influence—under the control of the Democratic party. It is also gives to the same party the control of the next House of Representatives in Congress, and quite probably the Senate, as well; and in addition a strong probability, almost logical in its certainty, of adding the control of the executive branch in 1884. This a’l means a present promise of an entry by the Democratic party upon a long lease of public power; and to make this certain, and a blessing to the whole country, it is not Duly necessary that the party should be true to tlie principles upon which it was founded, and which if appl ed now to existing issues will be recognized as wise by men of all parties. “The civil-service reform must be taken up and completed, so as to prevent the public offices of the country from being any longer prostituted into being the mere spoils of party conquest. The tenure of the great body of these offices —which are simply ministerial in their nature—must depend solely upon efficiency and good behavior, and not upon the mere ebb and flow of the party power. This step alone, once resolutely taken, will clear the political atmosphere of much of its -present obscurity and danger. It will banish ‘ bossism ’ from our State and National politics, and allow the measures of statesmanship to replace official brokerage, by removing from the minds of tliQ corps of official servants of the country the periodical distress caused them by the fear of losing their means of livelihood, or of being bled by political assessments which every election bring« about. “I need say nothing of the, increased economy and efficiency of the public service that would fol'ow. The disposition and power so dangerously exhibited by the present Federi-l administra(ion to interfere in the local elections and government of the States would not only be discouraged but rendered almost impossible. Such disgraceful bargains as those lately made by the administration with Mahone in Virginia and Cash and Chalmers in Carolina and Mississippi would not again stain our political history, and centralization of power would also receive a much-needed and important check. Having thus put the machinery of administration upon a proper basis, the re-establishment of just and sound principles of taxation will become the most important duty of the Democratic party. Under the present conglomerated mass of tax laws the grossest injustice and class favoritism is accomplished. There is no task higher or more important than that of insisting that no law shall remain upon' the statute books under which the private property of one citizen is taken for the private use of another, public property for private use, or private propei ty for public use, without just compensation to the owner. “It is a mere summing up of the present system of tariff taxation to say that it accomplishes all three of these iniquitous and unwarranted results. War measures are inadmissible in time of peace. War taxes ought to be temporary only, whereas we now see that certain favored classes of our citizens have wrought themselves into the absurd belief that they have certain vested rights in the perpetuation of unequal taxes to their personal benefit upon the whole body of their fellow-countrymen. To state the the issue broadly, and yet accurately, the people of the United States are threatened with the substitution of a plutocracy instead of republicanism as the basis of their Government. “The reduction of taxation, the simplification of tax laws, the insistance upon the principle that revenue shall be the object and ‘ protection ’ only the incident of tax laws, are the arduous duties of the party assuming to administer the affairs of our Government. Under such an administration, founded upon such principles, and purified from the abuses and corrupt influences which have caused the Republican party to fall to pieces in the late elections, I can see a long course of growing prosperity, happiness and honor to our country, which will strengthen the cause of selfgovernment all over the civilized world.”