The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-12-02
10 ~ - " ~ WELLINGTON, O., THURSDAY DECEMBER
Democratic Vitality.

Democratic Vitality.
We observe that some Republican
persuasion-are predicting the early
dissolution and final wiping out of the
Democratic party. As this prediction
has been put forth at various times and
with various degrees of emphasis and
assurance for the past twenty years, it
may be regarded as somewhat stale;
and therefore it is, we presume, that
none of the more influential Repub
lican organs indulge in q repetition of
what has been so repeatedly falsified
by the facts. "Oft doomed to death,
yet fated not to die," can be said more
truly of the Democratic party than of
any other political organization the
country has ever seen, or is likely to
Scc~ A vitality which has survived
such internal disruption as that of
1860, such elements of Generalization
as those that prevailed during the war,
six successive Presidential defeats, in
cluding the Presidential fraud. which
was worse than defeat--may be con-
sidered practically invulnerable. If
we add to all these external trials the
severer one of the knaves and fools who
have used and abused the party for
their own purposes-the false friends
infinitely more dangerous than the
most powerful and vindictive enemies
Democratic life becomes little short
of a miracle, and it is difficult to
imagine any combination of cir, UNI
stances which will suspend the miracle.
To those who study politics from
what may be termed the philosophical
standpoint, the secret of this uncon-
querable vitality is easily discovered.
The bedrock upon which the Demo-
cratic party rests existed long before
the Federal Constitution was framed. or
even National independence achieved.
1t was in the mind of Thomas Jefferson
and other apostles of human liberty in
Europe as well as America, while En-
gland and her colonies were still united
in apparently indissoluble bonds, and
when popular government was yet only
a bright and seemingly unrealizable
dream. This bedrock is simply the
rights, power and wisdom of the people
in their broadest and best sense. Lin
coin, though he went-unwillingly, we
believe-widely astray in practice,
enunciated the Democratic theory with
absolute correctness in the famous
sentence, "a Government of the peo-
pie, by the people, and for the people,"
This is Jeffersonian Democracy OF the
straightest and purest sort. The Hamil-
tonian Federalism-which Mr.. Garfield
so much admires and his party has
virtually adopted-is Government of
radically different character. 1t is a
g strong Government the strength
coming from those centralizing
tendencies which invariably and
inevitably diminish and at last
absorb the rights and power of
the people. 1t is "splendid Govern.
ment;" the splendor being at the ex-
pense of the peoples pocket, and in
tended to blind their eyes to the gradual
loss of their iberties-a loss for which
there is no remedy save revolution.
In Republic, therefore. there must
alwnys s4be Democratic party; that Is,
a party which represents the Jeffer-
sonian theory of government sas op-
posed to the Hamiltonian. When the
Democratic party dies, the Republic
will have ceased to exist. The name
Democratic" is nothing, and another
might be substituted whenever desira-
BILE. The Democratic party of Jeffer-
sons day was called "Republican."
But the principles are everything, and
when these are abandoned popular
government will be in its coffin. If the
present Democratic party were to dis
band, as did it's gallant rival the Wing,
within six months it would have a sue
cessor embodying, no matter how much
disguised, the same essential and funda-
mental ideas. And while Democratic
policy may be this, that, or the other
thing-and is occasionally something
the reverse of Democratic-the principle
is immutable and immortal; 1.-THE same
yesterday, to-day and forever"
1t is easy. therefore, for the dullest of
our Republican friends to see that
though they have beaten the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency for the
sixth successive time (including the
fraud) they are no nearer destroying
the Democratic party than when FIRE.
mont was nominated. They have mere
ly thrown down the India-rubber ball
again, and may now watch it bounce
once more-as it has bounced nine
times in the last eighty years. This
"bouncingness," if we may coin a
word, is illustrated in the invincible
good nature with which Democrats
have borne their latesS defeat. They
are not sour and sullen as were Repub-
licans after the Maine surprise. They
show none of that Republican spirit
which Grant manifested (before Indiana)
when he said, in substance, that in
event of Democratic victory the North
would watch Congress and the new Ad-
ministration jealously, and if they went
wrong (that is, not to suit Republicans)
"would rise up and put a stop to it. !"
The Democracy, sadly disappointed in
deed, but not in the least disheartened,
contemplate the future with perfect
complacency; able to stand anything
the rest of the people can stand. and
knowing that the people will as surely
sooner or later come to them on their
bedrock principle as the Mississippi
flows to the sea. Republicans are COM
PEELED to be always looking round for
ian issue" Democrats have theirs
always at hand; an issue as old as the
first dawn of popular government. and
destined to last as long as a vestige of
popular government fingers upon the
earth.-S. Louis Republican.
The Republicans have begun to
crocodilegate "-as Artemus Ward
phrasedit-over "the Democratic abuse
of General Garfield s connection with the
Credit Mobilier and De Golyer." Dur
ing the entire campaign no statement
to his discredit respecting these mat
ters has appeared in any Democratic
journal which was not adopted from his
own statements or from the resolutions