Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1883 — DEMOCRATIC HISTORY. [ARTICLE]

DEMOCRATIC HISTORY.

I. R. Chalmers, of Mississippi, Traces the Record of the Party of Which He Was So Lately a Shining Light. Communication to the Memphis (Tenn.) Avalanche. J Gen. Weaver says that the/Democratic party had been campmg every vear on the ground where the Republican party had camped the year before, and this is eminently true of the Mississippi Democracy/ In 1868 they decleared the reconstruction measures revolutionary and void, and bitterly opposed the Tfhifteentli, Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the constitution as they earne up. At the next Presidential election in 1872, they not only stood on. llie reconstruction measures and the Amendments to the constitution, but they selected Horace Greeley us their candidate to stand on them, thus stepping over to the Republican platform on this subject. In 1868 they were the advocates of greenbacks for the payment of the Lnited States bonds, and declared there should be the same money for the bondholders ; and the plowliolders. Then followed the old doctrines of Calhoun and Jackson of opposition to national batiks and upholding the old Democratic idea that the Government, and not corporations, should make whatever the pepole were required to take as money. This doctrine was partially ignored by the National Convention of 1876, but the Mississippi Democracy clung to the old doctrine until 1880. In the Forty-fifth Congress, when Democrats were passing a bill to stop the destruction of Greenbacks, Mr. Bayard moved to amend the bill by taking away the legal-tender feature' of Greenbacks,’ while leaving the partial legal-tender fe .ture of national bank notes standing, and thus giving the national banks a monopoly of the paper money of the country. Mr. Lamar voted for Bayard’s amendment, and, when this failed, did not vote at all on the passage of the bill, and yet, in 1880, Mr. Lamar carried one-half of the Mississippi delegation to Cincinnati to vote lor Mr. Bayard for President, thus stepping over to the Republican platform on national banks. In 1876 the Democratic party was in favor of the recoinage of silver at its old Standard value, and in the Fortyfourth Congress Mr. Lamar, as a member of the House, voted for the Blair Silver bill. In the Forty-fifth Congress Mr. Lamar, as a Senator, changed liis mind, and in violation of instructions from his

State Legislature voted against tlie old silver dollar. In the Forty-sixth Congress Mr. Bayard,not. only opposed the Silver bill passed by a Democratic House, but by his arbitrary action as Chairman of the Finance Committee in the Senate defeated the consideration of the measure in that body. And vet Mr. Lamar, as just stated, in 1880 carried one-half of the Mississippi delegation to Cincinnati to indorse Mr. Bayard, and in 1882 Mr. Lamar was himself indorsed by re-election to the Senate by the Democrats of Mississippi, who thus passed over to the Republican platform on that subject. In Ih7(i the Democrats were for “a tariff only for revenue.” In itßo they were for “a .tariff for revenue only.” Now, in 1883, the Democrats of Ohio have adopted the original Republican platform of 185(5 in almost its exact language, and have nominated on it as their candidate for Governor a distinguished Liberal Republican who Test that party but a few years ago. And every Democratic paper in Mississippi has said amen, and bravely steps over to the old-time Republican platform. As'now construed, this platform of 1880 meant “a tariff for revenue—only for office:” But as the offices did not come on that platform, they now say a tariff for revenue must be supplemented by such discrimination as will afford protection to American industry. One is relegated to Its appropriate sphere, and that is to keep the conflicting elements, called Democrats, together until they can elect a President. “Only this and nothing more.” >ln 1881 the Mississippi Democrats were very bitter in denouncing the Independent party of Mississippi as the half-way house tp Republicanism. And the Vicksburg Coiiimerdal charging tins was reproduced and an attempt was made to foster it on me because I Lad ah interest in the paper, as being an admission of the ultimate purpose of the Independents. Now' the Democracy of Mississippi, in many counties of the State, are openly advocating a fusion with the Republicans simply to divide the spoils of office. They have passed the half-way house and are making the best possible time for the home base. This time they have surpassed their achievements, as described bv Gen. Weaver, and instead of resting on last year’s encampment of the Republicans, they propose to occupy the same campground together. When the North Carolina mover started West with his two-wheeled cart covered w ith white cotton and the old yellow dog tied behind, he almost pulled the old dog’s head off the first day to get him along. (Vide Democrats, pulling back and scowling over ' the reconstruction measures, constitutional amendments, etc.) In a few days tlie dog began to trot quietly along and sleep behind the Wagon. (Vide Demo- • crats sleeping on the Republican’s old camp-ground.) At last- the old dog jumped in and slept comfortably in the wagon. (Vide Lynch and Lamar sleeping quietly fogetiier after their arduous labor in dividing out the offices in the negro counties in Mississippi.)

J. R. CHALMERS.

Democratic Presidential Candidates. Tlie deficiency es the Democratic party in Presidential timber is attested by the number of logs which are floated down the current of public opinion; they are numerous enough to choke up the stream, but no man has been able to pick out one sufficiently imposing to set np for public admiration. The names are discarded almost as rapidly as they are suggested. _ Not long since, Mr. Justice Field, of

the Supreme CoiHt, came but with a bid for the nomination in a letter in-, tended to conciliate the Southern Bourbons. He declared in favor of a system of levees along the Mississippi river, and ‘'a tariff for revenue, with incidental protection.” He was also emphatic in advocating a return of the 70,000,000 collected from the .cotton tax —the only contribution the South ever . made toward defraying the expenses of j the war it forced upon the country, j Some of the Southern newspapers : caught greedily at the bait he threw out. Among others was the Chronicle j and Constilu tionalist, of Augusta, which, after epitomizing Judge Field’s propositions, said that “he would make j a model Democratic candidate in 1884,” j and spoke of him as “the coming man.” But the Louisville Courier-Journal. \ on the other hand, dismisses him sum- j marily by characterizing liis letter as \ “fatally weak and defective,” and as containing “a series of propositions which, making his nomination impossible; carry along with their absurdity their antidote. ” This is probably the last that will be heard of Mr. Justice Field as a Presidential candidate, and hence it is not worth while to discuss the preposterous character of liis Presidential j postulants. A few days later accounts were spread throughout the country of a mysterious j interview between Mr. Tilden and Mr. ; Hendricks, and about the same time the latter began making Democratic ; speeches in lowa, in which he reverted ! significantly to the “great fraud of j 1876.” But at that point Mr. Tildeu’s physician appeared on the scene with a .j statement intended to reassure au anx- j ions public as to the condition of the j old gentleman's health, but really making his candidacy impossible. The physician went on to say that Mr. Tilden was recovering his voice and was merely suffering from paralysis agitaros: We presume that this is a tri- ; fling matter in the eyes of a doctor in attendance upon a millionaire, but it is j more than the public can stand. The : contemplation of a President with par- j alvsis would be* Startling enough, but;! wnen agitans is added thereto the case I is po-itively appalling. “The old tick-j j et” has rt ceivi d a blow from this prod fessional revelation from which it will never recover. But New York comes up with two other candidates—Hewitt andj Cleveland —and starts out with the as-J j sumption ttiat, since Indiana has aban-j doned its October election and tliej Democrats in Ohio are quarrelling among themselves, the West has nq claims whatever upon the nomination,' because it has no pivotal State. That is all very we 1, but how is it going tej lielp New York with a couple of rival candidates, neither one of. whom can

command a united delegation from hid} own State nor the enthusiasm of thd party at all. Mr. Hewitt is the natural heir to all the antagonism entertained for Tilden among that class of Democrats, particularly at the South, who think Tilden should have resorted to Mexican methods in the spring of and should have attempted to seize tliej Presidency in spite of the cjecision, reached In' Congress. In addition to this antagonism within his own party, Mr. Hewitt has been too outspoken oq the tariff question to hope for united support from the ruling politicians whq think it to be necessary for the Demo* crats to straddle that issue in the apj proaching Democratic campaign. Gov. Cleveland is not as strong to-day as hq was wheu he was running for Ins present place. The Democratic politicians o| hisj, State are disgruntled over his dis? jjosition of the State patronage, and thq country has heard very little of himj since he was elected. Meanwhile McDonald and Hendricks, of Indiana, are engaged in a war of exterminatiou. They are proceeding iq their own behalf upon different lines - McDonald making free-trade speeclieq and Hendricks making protection, speeches—but each determined that thq .other shall not carry off the prize, i Actuated by the common purpose o| mutual rivalry, it is probable that eaeli will be successful to the extent of kill- ! ing off the other. Ohio Democrats j have destroyed their chances bv their, family quarrels at home. Bayard is set aside because he represents a “rotten-J borough” State. Hancock is scarcely i mentioned, because the recollection on liis imbecility as a candidate in 1880 ia too fresh in the minds of the people, j Who is there, then ? Perhaps Blainej ah.sSriircd the qtie'sfiO£i,tf'itbetruo,asTc-r ported, that he predicted recently thatj Ben Butler will certainly be nominated) if he shall be re-elected Governor of Massachusetts. We may be permitted to doubt, however, that Blaine predict-! ed Butlef-’s election,in that case, though it is easy to understand why lie, as a Republican, should say and do everything possible to encourage Butler’s advancement in the Democratic party. If Butler could secure the Democratic nomination for President, there Would be a sort of retributive justice in the event which would be peculiarly gratifying to Bepublicans. It would be a bitter dose to the Democrats, but they may as well prepare, perhaps, to take their medicine.—Chicago Tribune.