The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-12-18
HON. .. wxArr AirxEN,s LETTER.

u
Hon. D. w. Aiken, oui Representative
in Congress. under date OF Wanhlnaton.
December 9th, as relates TO political sub
jects. Col, Aikeh's constituents will
learn nom 1t With no little regret that
their Representatives regerds the Demo.
cratic party-the party called Into exis-
tence during the administration OF Wash.
| ington, although under different haiiio,
| by the Efforts OF the Federalists OF that
day TO desttoy tho State governments
| and establish consolidated Federal
government the party which for moro
| than sixty years controlled tho admins
tration of public affairs of tho country
and made this one Of the firot countries
OF the world, and the party, and the only
party, Which to-day az In 1890 Is opposing
consolidation and imperialism, has out
| Tired its usefllness, and should be ,riped out,
! Col. Aiken wnnld not destrny the ax! !a-
tence of parties, for he recognizes their
necessity, but he does object to their de-
signation as Democrat and Republican,
and would have "new ieal'-a now
party--formed by calling q convention
of the industrial elements OF the country,
and forming Presidential ticket with
out regard TO either Of tho political par
ties. This Is speculetivoly beautiful, but
practically impracticable. Suppose Col.
AIKEN should assemble his conv ention Of
tho industrial interests of the country.
| What discordant elements would COM
pose that convention There would be
Democrat and Republican, the t3utler;sm
OF tho Atlantic and tho Kearneyism Of
the Pacific, tho advocate OF protective
tariff and the advocate OF free trade, the
constitutionalist and the consolidational-
ist all striving for the ascendancy, with
no power or common tie to harmonize
them. From the assembling of such q
convention as this, composed Of discor.
dant, wariug clements, we should have
confusion worse confounded. Tho whole
thing is chimericai and wholly impracti-
cable. If constitutional liberty is pre-
| served on the American continent, It
must be through tho fundamentally of
\ the Democratic party. Destroy this par
ty, and the rights of States and the lib
erty Of the citizen are gone. Tho mis-
sion OF tho Democratic party will not be
accomplished as long rs American liberty
as secured by the fathers OF the Republic
Is to be preserved as common heritage,
and perpctuated to succeeding ages
We regret still moro that Col. Aiken
should have deemed It prudent to pub
lish to the whole country letter, the
ONLY tendency Of which Is to dishearten
and demoraIize the party with which he
has been identified all his life, and which
placed him in tho high and responsible
position which he now occupies, and to
encourage and sustain the Republican
party, which ho has abused in no uncer.
tain terms from its beginning. He ex-
presses the conviction that no partisan,
rs Democrat, can carry the State OF
Now York, and that Democracy cannot
carry Indiana. In other words, that the
| defeat OF the Democrats In 1880 Is inertia
DE. If the next Presidential contest is
| to be between the Democrats ard Repub-
llcans. and we can see no other possible
prospect, then this expression of convic.
ton is most unwise and inpolitic. It
can accomplish no good for the party or
the country, and we can find no motive
for its publication, unless there is organ.
lied, or in the process OF organization,
6 'fnow dealt in the formation OF politi-
cal parties not disclosed in the letter or
elsewhere. We confess we do not under
stand Col. Aiken's position. If he in
teads to enter tho contest in 1880 under
the Democratic banner, he would not
have proclaimed in advance tho inevita-
bio defeat Of his party; and If such Is
not his intention, and he is engaged in
the organization of thew DEAL" the
paoplo should be informed Of 1t, end
know something Of sheremedy proposed
for the ruin sought TO he accomplished,
Is 1t true, however, that the SUCCESS of
the Democrats in 1850 is improbable, not
to say their defeat Inevitable Senators
Hampton and Butler, with the leaders of
the party, cay that with judicious selec-
tons of candidates we will succeed.
The prospect OF success to-day is moro
promising than it was in 1876, when
Tilden received q majority of near half
million of the popular vote OF tho whole
country. We do not despair OF success.
We arc much moro hopeful ths.. 20 1876,
and If united and confident we shall look
for success; but such letters from the
leaders OF the party, published in tho
papers of the whole country, as that OF
Col. Aiken's win seal it's doom. .
EXTRACTS rRoM LETTER.
A run OF six. eight or ten hours in the
limited express, the express or accommndn-
miles, to this beautiful city, the seething
csuldron OF political partisanship. Party
rule and party limits measure tho patriot
ism OF those who como here to mako laws
distance lends enchantment to the view"
M no ~.
IFS awe-inspiring majesty appears. Il
seems 20 me there is no greatnesa-states-
manehip--here. The leaders of both parties
tionnl in politics. and not patriotic. Every
and Republican friends and enemies. A
i'yea and nnv' vnta generally sanarates tho
| docks, but at heart there are sheen and
goats in both tlocka. Sectional Ineasures
i aiow tfiat blood Is thicker tran water.
Pension appropriations or Northern I'm. i'm.
! provementa easily close up the gap between
/ Northern Republicans and Northern Dem.
ocrats. Southern pensions or Southern i'm
Ipgovements keep it closed up. AT tho South
l Wo have Htruggled most manfully for home
rule, and style Ourselves Democrats. AT
/ the North O moro eentiInent--the Solid
sSuth-has whipped 75 per cent. OF the yo.
i ting population into inc Republican party,
| and II our Southern leaders continue TO
| thrust into Northern faces Southern choices
| for Presidential honors, the remairinf, a.
per cent win DO there before the ideS Of
| next November, And then, what are you
1 going 10 do about il f'
4 5iaId at,ass