The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-06-07
LETTERS FROM sULIoTE.
nu1an
NUMBER ONE.
The Issues OF To-,lay-Denocsacy VS..
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. VS.. Monopoly,

Fps. DEMpcRAr:
j is full time We would take a qniet,
retrospective view of the country, and
from the lesson it may suggest, school our
minds to a more bic and progressive
course of action. Wur-inevitnhlo wal
has passed over Us, and instead of bringing
to us "thc sovereign people" peace,
prosperity aud the perpetui,y of those in.
s'i'utions that existed before, we have
no peace but what is supported by neces
sity; no prosperity but what the bond.
holders enjoy, and our institutions ort
washed away on the sea of remorseles:
vandalism. tif-ia ~
Political parties urc, to great extent,
laid low. Democracy, to be sure, stand.
up bold and defiant as ever, the emboli.
n'ent ola power that once wns politically
strong, and now exists in moral couvic.
ton. +H -'- ''ia4 '2.''5 So 'i
Radicalism, negative in It's destructive,
ness, guided in its foul career by no tan
giblc character that would represent q
principle--pnsscsscs not mn idea Of lIenor
or justice, And this radicalsm is don,-
nant, and VIC, the people, are laid low
low in the dust, but while we know our
degraded condition, we exhibit symptoms
ofvitali'y. We got rid Of the slave power
to be sure, and We have now in its stead
the money power. This nloms power eau
only be upheld by taxation; ind taxation,
when not general, is the very embodiment
of frori ism and tyranny. a,w7.
Our government; insisting still on being
a democratic ono, holds through its agents
and friends the property Of the milton in
mortgage; and We. the great sovereign
people, blindfolIed and blarncycd, pay.
the interest from our sweat. of debt ell
tailed without our knowledge or consent
This establishment of a moneyed power
is stern definition Of Oligarchy, and de-
mons!ratcs beyond contradiction the fact
tina: Two classes now exist instead Of two
parties. Two parties, one opposed to the
other in the jealous guardianship of true
government, we're nationally necessary.
Two classes. one preying on the other
with ruthless spirit Of sordid maligni,y,
proves revolution in idea il not III fact,
and in its nature this revolution, if success
full. must inevitably lead TO anarchy.
It would he well to pay some little at
tention to this fac:-the people in whose
name he GoycrnmentcNists, are oppressed;
aud Congress, at one time the streant, IS
new master. and hence it is that our man.
ufacturcrs and importers shuttle of the coil
Of taxation until it RESTS on the consumer
the consumer. priest and victim! Tho
Injuries Of tho ricl, are suppor-
ted by the poor. and Congress itself de-
clares that its contracts entered into in the
maine Of the people, must be recognized By
the people to their own injury.
q Democracy in the abstract is often ar
gned, but in its wise and all permca,ing
spirit. guarding every class, universally.
conservative Of order. is now hut impcr-
fcctly understood Its principles lave
existed through all tine. recognized By
Alfred the great, in Ireland but distinctly
recognized when l.anx,on, the Roman
Catholic Cardinal. Mt the head of the Eug-
ISL Borons, presented them to King
John as the Magma Charta Of man.
And this right, more RICHLY defined in
the 10Th century by Braxton, lord Chief
Justice, stands out on the record of Law.
The King derives his power from the leo.
p'e-ait fran Col, rho is King anl Lor'l
Of all" This idea or principle served
Blacks Stone in his definition of the rights
cfprnrc:ty.
And in this way nlouccan we establish
our sovereignty. We are the sovereign
people, made thus by divine right, and this
right is thoroughly and intensely demo
existing to-day in law, in our ira
ditions, the jus non Scrip'an'-and, but
no. it does not exist in practice.
Our Constitution is read, but not his
,orically studied. For instance, at the first
convention for the framing Of n Consti.u-
ton, il was moved that the Federal Gov.
ernmcn, should have power to create Cor.
pora,ions, and there, in that august body.
was not to DO found one man to second
that motion, in itself an incipient rrcognl-
ton Of centralized power.
To-day we haze the Pacific Railroad,
and the National l'anks-two corporations
The former Is IN ndacious fraud, the
latter is an oligarhcal seizure Of the goc-
ernmcnt porcr. These in my next | will!
prove TO be what state.
And now the question is what particle
of the vast power o,,ec owned by the 'soc-
cre;g" people do they no'0 possess 2
I'VE" exclaim one faction, 'l'aye our
rights" BE it so. Do all the people
possess them? Ifnot. then we have lost
our sovereignty to certain extent, for Il
nne party arc masters and the other serfs
in the eye of The law, our dignity is gone.
and the rebellion that was, lives in n new
character, essentially and positively reyo-
lutionnry
The questions involved in this article
will seem ut frat view to be mere abstrac-
lions. In nv ncxt-.for this is only III.