The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-04-18
Political EetichiSm.

occuSlOlldliy tne NEW lOfk UOf(Q
makes strong effort to infuse modern
and progressive ideas into the Demo-
cratic party. With zeal which shows
the Republican instincts of the editor,
and his ineradicable antipathy to the
party of which his paper is the national
organ, he battles the old fogy spirit of
the Democracy. So far, his efforts have
been quite unavailing, and his prophe-
cies of defeat as the inevitable punish
ment for disregarding his counsels have
never failed.
The last regular "set-to" was the
World leader of Monday. Under the
head of Traditional Democracy"
Manton Marble protests that "Democ-
racy, as the very word signifies, is gov
eminent by the people, and not the gov
eminent of the living by the dead the
enslavement of this generation to the
ideas of the gen0ration that preceded
it. !" In proof of this he refers to Jeffer-
son. In so far as the sage of Monticello
was the father of the party, the refer
ence is pertinent. He was certainly
profound believer in the doctrine of
popular sovereignty. The Worlds also
right i'll attributing the fall of the Fed
eralists TO their undemocratic notions,
and especially to Hamilton's distrust of
the people. While the disasters of the
modern Democracy are traceable to sew
eral causes, defense of slavery and op-
position to the war being chief, it is
true that traditionalism had great deal
to do with causing those calamities. In
decd, it was extreme conservatism which
made the party fall prey to the slave
power and to treason. The World
seems blind on this point, but we could
hardly expect it to confess the whole
truth.
Having pointed out the essential
falseness to Democracy of worshiplng
tradition, the World proceeds to make
a practical application of the lesson of
the last twelve years to the issues of
the day. What it says on this point is
as startling as it is true. We had not
looked for such wholesome truth from
a source usually conservative to fault
That there may be no mistaking the
position of the World wequote it's exact
language
"We became weak only when we tried
to live on traditions, and put on garb
OF conservatism borrowed in part from
our Wing recruits. TheSupreme Court
worship, and the exaggerated Constitu-
ton worship, which we protested when
the spirit of Democracy began TO decay,
were not of indigenous growth. The
first was q cultus of the old Federalists,
to which Jefferson never alluded but to
scout and denounce it. When the Fed
eralists were about to go out of power
they reorganized the Judiciary and tried
to make it barrier against the will of
the people. The new judges (Mr.
Adams midnight judges they were
called were appointed and confirmed in
the expiring hours of the Administra-
ton and one of the first things the
Democratic Congress did, when it came
IN, was TO get rid of the judges 10y abol-
ishing their Office. The subsection of
the people to few men who hold their
offices for life never found favor in the
eyes of the Democracy till it so CHANGED,
in 1857, that we had one former FEEDER
alist for Chief Justice and another for
mer Federalist for President. who Joint
ly held the views of the authority of the
Supreme Court which had been revived
IN 1880 by another old Federalist, Mr..
Webster. The bred Scott decision, in
1857, was Pandora's box of mischief.
Our appeals to the Supreme Court
against the Reconstruction acts might
as well have been prayers addressed to
the god Dagon. As the court is now
composed the Democracy will be easily
cured of this fetch worship. We have
also learned that constitutions are no
protection when the party in power
makes them mean anything it pleases.
The safe depository of our rights is not
the Supreme Court, nor even the Con-
stitution, but the hearts of the peo-
pie"
It is amazing to hear sentiments
like these from the leading organ Of
Democracy. We are free to say that
in the new era of politics upon which
we have entered the party truest to the
doctrine of this extract will win, and
Justly.
1t would be simply blind partisan
ship that should claim with certainty
that the Democrats will contemn this
counsel, and that the World, in giving
it, has in effect simply foreshadowed
the policy of the Republican party but
it is safe and moderate to say that such
are the strong probabilities of the case.
We appeal to the histories OF the two
parties ever since the Republican organ
ization came into existence as proof that
in all likelihood it will continue to be
the party of progress and genuine
democracy. Without much doubt the
people will take this vieW of the case
They will continue their confidence in
the Republican party, and look upon all
attempts of the adversary to steal the
thunder" of progress as mere tricks of
demagoguery. But should our party be-
lie its past, then the opposition, by
whatever name called, would mount to
power. In a word, the Republican
party could only die of political fetch
| ism. Chicago Journal.
The FIXTURE Of Civil Service Reform.
The reception of Mr.. Curtis resig-
nation by the press is significant. OF
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