Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-08-24
.,hara a Democratie Party?

That we should ask such a question
will strike some minds with surprise,
and no doubt we would be referred 10
the great number of persons who vote
what is called a Democratic ticket and
to the States that give what is called
Democratic msjorities in proof that
there was really Democratic party.
Lst us see about that, and first we
would ask the question. what is Dem
OcracyY Turning to Webster the gem
orally recognized authority on all such
questions, we find that Democracy
is a government in which the supreme
power is in the hands Of the people
that is the majority Of the people rule.
Applied in this sense to the Democratic
party Of the present day it will not
stand the test of close examination.
For instance, it would be a burlesque
on the name of Democracy to call
the State governments in most OF
the Southern States Democratic govern
ments. None but those who will not
listen to reason would contend that tho
governments of South Carolina, Geor-
gia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas are
Democratic State governments. No
government can be called Democratic
except those in which fair elections
have been held, and where every one
who had vote was allowed to vote
for whoever he saw proper. A ma jor-
ity vote determined in that manner
constitutes a Democracy, but is there
in one of the States which we have
named a government of that kind
Not one. The Republicans would have
been in power in every one of the
States named had fair elections been
held and had there been an entire alb
senee of all violence and intimidation
at home and at the polls. What then
shall we cali the government existing
in most Of the Southern States We
know of no name that will come nearer
q correct definition Of Southern rule
than to call it an aristocracy-a gov
eminent in which the Supreme power
is vested in a privileged order. There
are but few persons who control 20
Iitical affairs in the South, but these
few are the wealthy and educated land
holders, who WELD their power in such
a manner that but few of the laborinl
or plebian class have the courage to
vote except it be on the side of their
old masters and supeliors. South Car
olina in az honest vote has $4,000 Re-
publican majority, yet through the
manipulations of the aristocracy and
violence if need be the State is made tc
give at times an almost unanimous
Democratic vote. What farce to cal
such rule a Democratic government MT
1t has not got tho least semblance Of it
Georgia gives as high as 1900
Democratic N ljOrity, and yet
majority of the people are Re
publicans, but they cannot, they dar
not, vote the way they wait to vot
without subjeo:ipS themselves to tn
most unheard Of prosecutions for opin
ions sake. Georgia Is ruled By an Aris
tocrscy, 40. Democracy. We nigh
if Necessary 20 On naming number c
other Southern States ruled in the sam
manner as those mentioned but it
useless. Thoy are all alike and thei
government is NJ more like Demoora
cy than day is like night. The ques
tion may b. asked, how about th
Democracy Of the North2 Il that
real Democracy 1t psrtakes more O
the nature Of Democracy than tina
of toe South does, bat on account o. i!
subseryien;y and utter dependence NJ