The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-08-24
1.-THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF
.PARTIEs.-

Our friend d.. talked under this head in
day before yesterdays GATE. We don't
know that we write this for the purpose of
contradicting his views, for they are acute
and discriminating; but he shall furnish us
the text for further thoughts on the subject
he discusses. " D." pertinently asks" But
if the Democratic party had the good sense
to abandon the name they have disgraced,
and let the suffrage question go by default,
how long would it be before the Republican
party would split on questions Of public pol.
icy?n We have written on this subject be-
fore, and have shown that it is law Of poli-
tics that when the opposition to domin ant
party is utterly destroyed that party must
divide and fall into pieces. But 80 D." gives
it as his further opinion that 'if the mem,
bers of the Democratic party were only en-
dowed with more sagacity and less pride !"
they might at once get control Of the admins
istration of the country. We do not emphat.
icaly deny this assumption of "D.'s,n be
cause we don't know, for " D. does not tell
US, what policy it is that if adopted, would,
In his opinion, make the Democracy success
iul, supposing they had "more sagacity and
less pride.n That there are differences be,
tween adherents of the Republican party, on
several subjects Of ultimate national policy,
we freely coucede. That these may, in the
future, lead to disunion in the party, and to
the ascendancy of one of the resultant wings
IF ,pd lafa Of fha tb L
probable, nay, inevitable. 1t was so, when
at the second election of Mr.. monroe, the
Federal party persisted. 1t is well known
how shortly thereafter the Republican party
of Mr.. Jefferson broke Into two portions, one
headed by Mr.. Clay and the other ruled by
Gen. Jackson. But this division of the pre-
sent Republican party must be remote. The
thing that can and will lead to that division
the only thing that will do it, in our opinion,
is the Tariff. Yet such will be the immense
revenue, which for long time to come, the
Government must have, to meet it's debt and
current expenses, that all classes must tole,
rate such duties upon importation, rs will
amount to Protective. The Republican par
ty is safe from serious disunion or division on
this score for many years, unless there be ter
rible laundering and stupidity in the party $
political management.
Our friend "Dn will notice, then, that we
deny any likelihood Of the overthrow of the
Republican party within anything like the
near future which he deems possible! And he
will notice further, that even were the Re.
publican party early divided, we assume thai
1t would be succeeded by one or the other Of
its divided wings, and not, 10 any event, by
the Democracy. That partys opposition to
the war, is sufficient to defeat its members
under any form of political metempsychosis.
But we base our assumption on another
ground, Aud that is, that the views, which,
under any change of party name, the presen,
Democracy, must continue to hold, concern,
ing the powers of the Federal Government,
under the Constitution, can never regain es.
cendancy in this country. The growth of the
United States has been away from The Con-
fedcracy and towards TAe Gopernr,ent The
construction of the Constitution as to Federal
power, has been one great problem of Amer.
lean parties. The standpoint reached BY
the people during the late war, and from
which there will be no receding, is that the
Popular viii and the Nations Necessities
not Constitutions, are the limitations of Fed.
eFai administrative power. So patent and
decided has been this phase of our political
development that, when, following the close
oil the war of 1912, the popular Leaders. and
American spirit of Jefferson's Renubl;o.n
party, made it the sole and unopposed nartv
in the land, 1t was forced to disavow its past
"strict construction tenets, and adopt the
views of its antagonists-the Federalists. II
proof of this were needed, we could quote
Mr.. Parton. In his sketch of Calhoun he
says:
when the war was over. a strapoe tb;no
Was to be noted in the politics of the United
State; the Federal party was dead but the
Republican psrty had adopted its opinions,
The disasters Of the war had convinced almost
every man of the necessity of investing the
Government with the power to WELD the re>
sources ofthe country more readily. \
Ihe strict constructionists were almost al.
fenced in the general cry, Let us be a Ma.
tion.' /"
That was the effect of the war of 1912.
! ne national necessities in war, made the
party OF strict constructionists change their
creed and it was noticeable that Of Renub.
Means u was Gen. jackson, Who of ali our
leading men had most persi..ently Of all.
refused to be trammeled by Constitutions
during the war, that became tina. party.
leader. During our late strife, II was found
that even the latitudinous construction a.
Federal powers which following 1912, the
Republican party had adopted, was too r..
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