The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-07-31
s0gIEEHINc ii a NAsIE.


Il may be actually tne, as Shakespeare
says, that "a rose. by any other name,
would smell as sweet, ., and yet It is equally
true, that from habit and the association Of
ideas, there isgreaf power in q simple name.
How much there IS in that good old Saxon
word, home. How It clings 10 the memories
and hearts Of all, who speak the English
tongue. How it brings up the happy period
Of childhood, the pleasant days long gone
BY, OF the unutterabIe sweets Of domestic
life, wife, children and friends. Would
any one consent to discard this word. with
all It's delightful associations, and to sub
stitute new one, meaning the same thingl
Never. The word itself is dear to every
one, and no other would now answer in its
place.
So it's, in a less degree to be sure, with
the word, democrat. The words, democrat,
democratic and democracy, have been used
50 long, they have become familiar to
millions. They are associated in their
minds with free, pure and constitutional
government. They take the old back to
the best days Of the Republic, to the times
OF jefferson, Madison and Jackson. They
are coupled with economy, official integ
rity, the due administration Of the laws,
and equal and exact justice to all classes,
without fear or favor. There is power in
the old familiar words, which some Of the
new politicians seem not to be aware Of, or
arc foolish enough to be willing to ignore.
They tell us the name of the Democratic
party is nothing that its principles may be
preserved under some new appellation, some
new organization, which win be more pop
ular and combinemore numbers and power.
They are wofulIy mistaken, No rev party
can be started, which would have half the
strength of the old Democratic party. No
name can be used, which win so stir up the
hearts Of the masses as the name Of the
Democratic party. The very word, de-
mocracy, is full of significance. 1t
means self government, a government
OF the people. All can understand this,
and they do understand it. 1t comes, as
the great Bacon said, g home to mems bus
mess and bosoms.n 1t rouses up all the en-
thusiasm Of patriotism, and is, Of itself, a
mighty tower Of strength, which cannot be
battered down and destroyed. To the for
eigner, who leaves his king-govened land
and comes to our hospitable shores, il is the
sweetest name Of all, suggesting freedom
and self-government. To an Irishman, it is
as natural to vote the Democratic ticket as it
is to hate the lordly oppressors Of his own
loved Emerald Isle of the ocean. So, too,
the honest hardy Germans--they cannot
but prize the name, and they were only
drawn of from the Democratic party, be-
fore the war, by their horror of slavery and
their love of universal freedom. The Rad
icaIs of the present time we'll understand
the power Of this name, and they would
steal it from US if they could. Many of their
leading papers falsely bear the name of
Democrat. Nothing would delight them
so much as for us to throw aside the
name, and attempt a new organiza-
tion, under different appellation. They
would seize upon it themselves with avid
ity. The opposition to the democracy, after
trying various names without success, at
last adopted the name Of Republican party,
which was the name of the Democratic
party in the days of jefferson and Madison.
They assumed a false name to impose upon
the masses, but they never would have tri-
umphed under it but for the anti-slayery eS-
citement, which prevailed throughout the
civilized world. Now, if we discard our
time-honored name, the Radicals would inn
mediately appropriate it, and use it to de-
ceiye the people, We must not dream Of
such foolisllness. We must hold to the name
as well as the principles, Wemust keepup
the old Democratic organization every
where. Whenever restless, impatient, am
bilious and foolish men talk about disband-
ing the Democratic party, let them be de-
nounced at once, and put in the back
ground, as unworthy to be in the front
fight against Radicalism, centralization and
Cesarism. Faint hearts never won a vic
tory, though they are generally the loudest
to crow over it and the most eager to par
takeof the spoils.