Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-24
A WORD 10 THE CoNsERvAT1yrs

seeks to preserve and perpetuate the
local management of local affairs.
Protection, monopolies, privileged
banks, rings and corruptions are but
the props and supports of the central
lzing system, and the axe that viii
strike at the root of all these evils is
decentralization or home rule. This
vital difference extends to the internal
management of the two parties. The
whole machinery Of Radicalism is reg
ulated from Washington. We have
seen one Southern State after another
fixed" at headquarters, but the story
is only too well known, with its bloody
examinations In Louisiana, Arkansas
and elsewhere. The same is true of the
North. We have seen the New York
Custom house devoted almost exclu-
sively to the work of packing and run
ming conventions. For years the en-
tire Federal patronage of Pennsylvania
has been the property of the Cameron
ring. Once and again, Massachusetts,
herself has been alarmed and outraged
to find the pressure of the whole Fede-
raj Government brought to bear ON her
local elections. Such is the system,
and such its only means of self-preser-
walton. 1t cannot purify itself with
out suicide. 1t takes all party man.
agement as well as government from
the hands of the people. 1t creates
and continues rings within rings.
Democratic usages as well as princi-
pies betray the reverse tendency. The
burden of its constant lessons is that
the people should control politics, and
assume the party management, from
the precinct up, on the same plan by
which our representative government
is framed. There is no dynasty to per-
petuate. Each election is fresh ap-
peal to the people. This is the secret
of the vitality of the Democratic me.
thod, or party. 1t continually draws
fresh life from the source of all power
under our system. That method cam
not die, so long as the people remain
free.
Take Tennessee to-day, and ask the
one simple question, Who shall be our
next Governor? The widest politician
in the State or out of it, could make
nothing but the widest guess. The
matter is absolutely In the hands of the
people, and slate making is simply i'm
possible. The State Executive Com
mittee has called Convention, but it
can neither shape the constituency of
that body, nor the course of policy it
may adopt. The Executive Committee
is but a piece of scaffolding, to be
thrown aside when the building is
erected.
The address extends a cordial |
invitation to all Conservatives, all |
who oppose Radicalism, to join in the
work of organization. By doing so all |
classes will secure their proper repre-
sentation and WELD their extent of in.
huenee in shaping the campaign. No
man or class could ask more. No
Democrat mas power or privilege to do
more. By holding aloof, other Conser-
natives would lose their normal infu-
ence. Surprising, for mere argument
sake, that the Tennessee Democracy is
too Bourbon" whatever that term
may mean with some to-day. VIII it
become less so, by those who make the
charge refusing to Join in what
they claim to be a needed re-
form? There could be only two
motives for such an ineffective
course either they feel the numbers
are against them, or lack confidence in
their own arguments. But numbers
rule in the American system, andif they
were not amenable to argument, the
system would be intolerable, and there
would be no hope Of ever rescuing the
country from the curse of the present
reigning party. Let all therefore have
the courage of their convictions.
We are well satisfied that much of
the unpleasant feeling in some quar-
tiers is mere misunderstanding among
friends. We Democrats are liable to
express ourselves in old formulas that
CRATE on the ears of some who, in other
days and on far less important issues,
differed with us. But what we mean
and aim at to-day, is the same which
others couch In words that likewise
CRATE on our ears. To revert to our
starting point, the two great ten
denotes or parties In existence
are centralism versus home rule.
All who seek the latter are
in accord with the aims and usages
Of what we love to call Democracy. /,
To apply it to Tennessee and the CON- ,
ing campaign, the State Committee in
vite all such to join in organization by
civil districts, wards and counties, de-
claring that st is the duty of every
citizen to feel an interest and take an {
active part in our political struggles"
This does not sound like new doctrine t
to us. We have heard it many times !
before. But we believe the people are
more determined to practice it this
year than ever before. 1t is impossible
TO carry out the democratic or Ameri-
can system without the cooperation of
the people. When they become apa- t
Bhetic, the party bearing the name of
Democrat is as liable to depart from
its principles as any other, and retain
only the advantage possessed by the
Pharisees of old, preaching the true
doctrine, but not practicing. Radi-
,alism does neither. c