Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-19


Il 10 . very excellent feature, in many re-
spcc,s. that We find implanted everywhere
the principle which We may term tina, OF
the balance. II is that force which gathers.
,oiards and conserves motion. In machin |
,ry IL is found in the baance-wheel, and in |
politics and religion and morality, il is
known ~ conservatism.
Political conservatism is like the break
on the wheel Of the descending wagon,
which, while admitting oi forward motions,
pr. vents 1t from becoming dangerous from
H. sapidity.
A true conservatism is hot lnotionless
Although the opposlte-techincsliy ~ fpro-
grcssion. it is nevertheless itself progressive.
II moves forward in the same direction as
progression itself, bu. more slowly. II con-
stantly gathers up-s0 10 spcak-the force
Of The other, and distributes il evenly and
in 81 CT, Quantities % 10 proper 10 the end
desired and proportionate to the strength Of
the framework political or nhy s,cal- which
incloscs il
Such 10 true conservatism and when de.
vcoped and employed in this character, il
ia one Of the most useful forces in existence.
Take the conservative ba!sncc>wheel and
the governor from the engine, or the polit>
ieal body, and II would soon require a rate
Of sre~d which would destroy itself and ev.
srything with which il should come in con.
tact.
II, however, happens unfortunately that
oil consc, vatissn, ~ called, in not true con
servntism. Examining the p0litcs or relig
los conservatism Of the day, and we shall
find that while muc, Il Il Is real and bene
fetal, there Is no lack Of . bogus article
which pOsscases none If the Quaiitics Of the
true article save it, name. TIE 'rss article
il progressive; the bogus article is imsn0va
bic There IL precisely the difference hes
,ween them thu, there j. between two wagon
brakes, one Of which should allow regulated
motion, and another which should allow no
motion at al
When man stands thoroughly etill in
his opirions. he is very apt to suppose him
self possessed with conservatism. Ia reali-
~, il il xtagnation. The world moves; the
moon and stars rcvove; the sun turns on
its own axis; the waters Of the ocean are in
everlasting unrest; opinions change, even
man himself, at short intervals, Is tecreatcd
from toe TO scalp there ia, in tact, rest nowhere
save in the stsgnated faith Of the immova-
bic conservative. lie is not in accord with
that grand harmony whose very esstncc Is
motion; he alone, Of all things animate or
inaninate, refuses to move, and he hugs
himself in the delusion TINT his exceptional
action, his stoldity and stupid immoblity,
are n virtue that he christcns conservatism.
III any one Of these moti0nless believers
will turn his attention down the past, he
will find that, save mummies, Fossils and
pctrifactions, there Ii nothing today o Il
was thousand. i've hundred, or even fifty
years ago. The hackneyed aphosism sum.
It al up in saying "1Smpora mstantur, q
nos maiamwr il Ills" The individual who
attempts TO stand sill! will lind that III,
world will move away from him like rail
road train by = tree rooted ~ the side o
the track.
Al this is Of application TO the democ, At
ic party. Certain democratic principles ar
undoubtedly immstable; but certain cour
scs Of action must change and adapt them,
selves 10 the forward movement Of events
The demo ratio party is a conservative par
ty: but - such, il would be 40 much fata
blunder for II 10 refuse ell motion as i
wrud were Il to attempt to compete with
tho speed OF the most radical progressivcs
lie is - true democrat, . conservative,
democrat, who becomes Bourbonized 10 III,
extent of never learning anything nor eve
forgetting anything. The only test shicl
q democrat should apply is whether Ger
tain course Of action is hostile to or in az
cord with the few principles which lie 10 th
base Of our Democracy, aud which, lik
gray ~, ARE unchangesblc. if actions b.
demanded whose vital principle is not an
tasonistic To these few democratic carlins
principles, then the question should be p
l. tins acton necessary and not Ilav
wen precedent for such u courses
We affirm that cardinal principle Of tn
democracy which We all profess is tn
equality, in theory, OF all human kind bu
We have oil believed that the development o
this principle should he cnvironed with Ger
tain restrictions. Democracy afIirms IN,
equality Of oil men but cxpediency require
that this acknowledgement should rccev
cny n partial practical application. w,
can therefore. in our democracy, ADMIT tina
the right OF suffrage 70 the right Of ever,
man; aud, at the same tune, ~ shall in
sist, ms we always have, that the enjoymen
Of this right may I've restricted within Ger
tain limit
We have heretofore denied the neer
sntfragc, not because We believed that h
did not possess the abstract right to vote
but because u was inexpedient to grant hin
that right The circumstances which ren
dered II ineSpedient to do so no longer ex
lat - Chicago Times.
ssra aasm9 che Faces 81 the Poer