Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-10-30
The Democratic Party.

1t is 4 favoritc fancy of certain dOctri-
naires that the modern Democratic party
is the great, original American party, and
that all others are but various forms of
opposition to it. The platform Of the re-
cent Ohio Democratic Convention, which
is the last revelation of party orthodoxy,
begins by declaring, with a solcmnitv
which the artless Inconsistencies Of
absurdity makes only the more delight
full; The Democratic party. stands
by its principles, which are suited 10 all
times and circumstances In the old
story the master charges his servant, If
you can't get cake, get smclts' And the
famous thief remarked II prigs purses
when | can-and Observation-Disclosures
when | can't" The Democratic princi-
pies which are suited to all times and
places are reduced by history to onc-the
principle, in Silas Wright's phrase, of
carrying off the spoils,' if possible.
After the Constitution was adopted. the
two antagonistic views of the Convention
naturally became the platforms of two
partics-the Federal, and.the Jefiersonian.
or the National Republican. The first
magnltied, and the second belitlled, the
power OF the National Governments John
Adams would have had certain sacred
ness attach to the Presidential person.
Thomas Jefferson called the whole ma
tlonal system "a department OF foreign
affairs The second war with Great
Britain, which was warmly opposed bv
the Federalists, and in which we gained
high fame for naval gallantry, and little
else, destroyed that party. The wound OF
The revolution was too fresh To allow the
country to regard with favor a party
which seemed British, and MIR. Monroe
had but one electoral vote against him for
his second term. Now that the National
Republican party was very different from
what has been recently known as the
Democratic, Is evident enough. In the
session of 1915 the Bank of the United
States was chartered Mr.. Calhoun.
chairman OF the Finance Committee. re-.
ported the bill. 1t was supported by The
National Republican, and opposed by the
Federal party. Henry CLAY, Calhoun
Lowndes, Forsyth, l. " TAYLOR and Inc
ham were its especial friends. DapiGI
" ebSter was its great opponent. Henry
Clay was as good a National Republican,
as HoraHo Seymour is modern Demo
Crat
Again, in 1916, the protective policy was
sustained by Lowndes, Calhoun. and For
SYN, National Republican leaders. and il
was opposed 10y MIR. Webster and the New
England members. So, in 1924. Governor
ates, o'New York, recommended protec.
ton. In 1927 State Convention was
held at Albany, which declared i Ia he
the duty Of Congress to pass protective
laws; and Ambrose Spencer. Samuel
Young, Benjamin knower. and other NJ
tional Republicans, were leading members.
Was modern Democracy the heir of these
views? In 1927 the New York LerfsIa-
ture unanimously passed resolutions for
protection, and even General Jackson
wrote that he was in favor of a "iudicious',
tariff. Up to this time where was the
great, original, American party known as
the modern Democratic? Did the princi-
Piles (which are suited to all times and
circumstances" charter a bank in 1915,
and destroy it twenty years afterward ?
Did they insist upon protection from
1916 TO 1880, and then proclaim free trade >
The Democratic party, rs we of this
generation have known it, the ant-bank.
anti-taritf, anti-internal Improvement,
hard-money party, was the party of Jack
son and Van Buren,. Henry Clay was the
last leader Of the old National Republican