Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-10
sENPUIS APPEAL
THEIxDEPESDEaTs.

THE IN BEPEA DIS H.
There are two great parties in the
limited States, ard but two. This has
besu the fact for seveRty-fve years Of
orr national existence, except occasion
ally we have had three parties. In 1886
and 1850 we had three parties in the field,
and then one Of the two great parties
wa successful. II these facts, known
To every one who is st all familiar with
the history Of the country, were not as
patent as they are, the necessity for two
parties, and but two, in well organized
republican government is just as plain to
all thoughtful men. Where all power Is
in the people and all officers OF the gov
eminent are the servants OF the people,
and chosen by them at popular elections,
il is altogether impossible to hold an
election without parties. And just as
the number Of parties are Increased ABOVE
two, in that proportion are the polls cor
rupted and the best interests Of the cOun-
try injured by personal factions and the
unhaIlowed selfishness Of indiVldu-
nal aspirations. Our experience as
well as that of all other
republics Of the past, confirms the cor
rectness Of this proposition. With these
truths, settled as they are by all the
records Of the past, the course OF 30
called independent journals and self
assumed independent aspirants for pub
lie favor is an absurdity. Many OF these
Journals have been singing jolly requlems
over the "dead Democracy" for de-
cade, while they have suffered no great
living statesman Of that defunct ~ or
ganization to pass without fsceuous
epitaph. Meanwhile, these modest IN
denendent would-bess statesmen exercise
their active lungs in telling the people
whata glorious thing it is to be an inde-
pendent voter, and what wonderful
things are about to be done by their little
squad Of political outcasts. We don't
mean to be harsh in the use Of the word
outcast in this connection, but simply to
be truthful. In nine cases out OF ten,
the independent politician is man who
has been discarded by one or the other
of the great parties of the country. 1t
is absolutely amusing to read the
fustiau from such sources. Just
think Of it! The Republican party
has been in power for fifteen years.
Last year the "dead Democracy" raj
lied all their forces and swept the coun-
try at the State elections to such an eX-
tent as to inspire a very confident hope
of success in 1876. Since these elections
transpired the two great parties have
been, and are now, stripping for the
contest from one end Of the land to the
other. The Republicans are unloading
their dead weights, and sounding the
reveille for q desperate struggle. The
Democrats are marshaling their hosts
and recruiting their ranks with degree
of energy that means eagerness for the
fray. Yet, in the light Of all this prep
aratioD, a few thousand impracticables
are beating the air with nOnsensicsl dec
larations, of the great purposes and de-
signs Of the independents, while they
watch from their windows to see which
party is gaining strength that they may
be ready to fall into its ranks. The is
sues in the next Presidential election
will be broad and we'll defined, and
there will be, no neutrals, no gueril-
las and no independents. There
will be but two parties in the con-
test-DemOcracy and Radicalism. The
latter will favor Capitalization, a strong
government, and, as a necessary
sequence, bayonet rule. The former
means local rule, home governments as
secured to the States by the constitu-
ton. Radicalism means sumptuary Leg
jslation in States, central rule all over
the States, and sumptuary and class
legislation by congress, and arbitrary
executive power in the President and
Federal courts, Democracy means per-
sonal liberty, limited powers of the
Federal government, and government
by the ballot-bOx. RGdicalism means
that the officers shall be the "govern.
ment" and rule the people, and DemOc-
racy means that the people shall rule
themselves and that those whom they
elect are their servants, with powers linn
tied by constitutional bonds which they |
shall in no event overstep or break. De-
mocrscy means honesty, retrenchment |
and reform. R8dicalism means eXtTav-
agance, corruption and public plnnder,