The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-23
Senator Beck on Party Discipline.

we invite puDllc aCtenGlOn 10 Cne re-
marks of the distinguished Senator from
Kentucky on the subject Of Democratic
organization at this time. His career in
the House of Representatives during the
dark days Of Radical ascendancy was so
marked by consistency and courage, that
among numerous eloquent and able men
Kentucky chose him to represent her in
the Senate. On the 4th of August he
delivered an elaborate and powerful
speech on the political situation. We
have no room to-day to do more than re-
produce the following extract, which we
trust our public will read carefully:
Democratic policy is coming to the
front, equality of States and people, home
rule and local self-government has been
conceded already-with a majority of
States presided over by Democratic Gov
ernors, with a clear majority of all the
people, regardless of race, color or pre-
vious condition, on our side; with ma
jority of white votes larger than the
white vote cast for General Washington
on either occasion when he was unani-
mously elected President of the United
States; with the House of Representa-
tives in our hands, and the Senate almost
so; with the certainty that it will be so
at the expiration Of the present Congress,
it is certain that we cannot only inaugu-
rate, but carry out in the near future, all
the reforms we demand and pledged our
selves to maintain in the platform of the
party as proclaimed at st. Louis. With
such prospects, with such cause, when
we all know that success is only possible
through unity of action and purpose !;
when the only tactics left to the enemy
is to divide in order to conquer us, it
seems to me to be the very extreme of
madness and folly for Democrats now to
allow anything to separate or weaken
them. I can hardly understand how
men can run independent or vote for
independents at time like this. I
fully appreciate the policy of Radicals,
who cannot elect member of their own
party, fostering discomfort and placing
in Office refractory or rebellious Demo-
Gratis; but how any Democrat can either
abandon or weaken the power or the dis
cipline of his party now passes my COM
prehension. Kentucky's motto should
be held up before the eyes of all-'Uni-
ted we stand, divided we fall Our
strength consists only in our unity.
Sepai ..tely We are atoms, combined we
are invincible. The single arrow could
be snapped like reed; the well-wrapped
bundle of arrows could not be bent. In
a crisis like this, it is far better to have
open enemies than secret foes. Those
who cannot act with the Democratic or
ganization had better join the Radical
party.
"The organization and discipline Of a
party must be as compact as that of an
army. Our strength in Kentucky is our
most dangerous source of weakness. Per-
sonal wrangles for place rarely divide us
when our opponents are equal, or nearly
equal, in strength; they spring up and
destroy us when the opposition can only
be felt in our dissensions by throwing its
weight into one scale or the other. That
is their policy now, all over Kentucky.
Strict party discipline alone can counter
act it. If soldier, in time of war, who
had enlisted in your army, refused to
obey orders, lert the ranks, called HIM
self independent, and professed to be
fighting on your side while he was draw
ing his ammunition, provisions and sup
plies from the enemy, you would drive
him from among you or shoot him as a
deserter. You know that the enemy
would never support a soldier in any
conflict, civil or military, who is not in
their opinion aiding their cause and
weakening the man they are seeking to
defeat. l repeat, our only safety is in
unity, subordination to party discipline,
obedience to the will of the majority
and all who refuse to conform to party
orders and support our nominees had
best be driven into the camp of the
my."-Jourmal Of Commerce.