Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-04-10
SPIRIT OF THE AGE
Thursday April 10, 1873.

become chronic in debating societies.
They are argued by successive genera
tons and always without the least
prospect Of their settlement We ap-
prehend that in the radical confiaterni.
ties there is topic which will have
the same fate as these vexed themes
Of the village lyceums. 1t is, what is
to become Of the Democratic Party
Why don't its funeral take place &C.
cording radical authority. They say the
Party has been dead these ten years
but, like Banquos ghost, it will not
dooon. When Gen. Grant was first
in the market for the Presidency, the
Democratic Party would not bid for
him. When a union of all the in
congruous elements Of the opposition,
to Grant was effected, it soon became
evident that the movement elected no
enthusiasm among the ''hard pam of
the old democratic army. 1t is evil
dent that 100000 democrats either
stayed at home or voted for Gen.
Grant. The question now is, does
tina (which has made the Democracy an
organization for the past fifteen year,
and after repeated defeats, yet exist,
and is the party less reality to-day
than it was when Mr.. Lincoln was
first elected
The Democratic Party has not exist
ed by the wisdom of its management.
1t has had no Central Directory like
its Opposition to create its principles
and direct its action. Most of it's
National Conventions have developed
wide differences of view. 1t has bray
ed popular opinion. 1t has been con-
seryative in an era Of revolution the
mystery is, why does it continue SEEM
ingly as vigorous as ero', though a
minority force It's leading organs in
the great cities, unfed by one spoonful
of Federal Pap, are among the recog
nized Journals Of the day. Its Rep
resentatives, in the two houses of our
National Assembly, are Of conspicuous
character for wisdom and integrity,
but without the support either of the
great banking, railroad OF manufacture
ing interests, and with but the partial
support Of the agricultural interest
With all the odds against it with all
the bad management of the past
against it, why does not the Party dis
band its organization ? The other day
Gov. Hendricks, of Indiana, went to
Washington on official business, when
the subsidized Associated Press tele-
graphed all over the land that a con-
clave was holding for the purpose Of
organizing anew party which, how
ever, was soon denied by Mr.. Hen,
bricks.
This event has led us to consider
the wonderful fact that the organiza-
ton Of the party has survived so many
defeats and presents to-day as much
vigor as overland at the last cleo
ton threw over third of q million
of votes. What then is the cause of
the continued existence Of the Demo
cratic Party? 1t certainly has not
lived on success, nor on official or
government patronage 1t is not the
pet of capitalists. What then is the
cause of its continued life We re-
ply,--it lives because it represents the
traditional patriotism Of the grand
formation era Of the Republic. 1t
lives because it studies and believes in
the principles of Constitutional Liber-
ty. Jefferson, and Marcy, and
Wright, and Hendricks himself. men
of the highest political intelligence,
have reflected and kept alive the
spirit which made this western world
a great nation. Let man read the
Inaugural Message of Thomas Jetfer-
son and he will read what q Demo
cratic President of the "true blue"
stamp believes, and would utter in an
inaugural We're he elected at the next
balloting.
Again. The Democratic Party
lives because its officers in Congress
and the State governments for the last
fifteen years, during its long Babylon
ian captivity, have been honest and
uncorrupt servants Of the Public. 1t
is a notable fact, that but one Demo-
crat was in any way implicated in the
late Credit Mobilier scandal, and he
(Brooks) used to be a Republican,
The Democracy lives then because
$4,000 voters in this land hold prin-
ciple above popularity, and are willing
to suffer the Affections of defeat rather
than enjoy the uleasnres nf Victory In