The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1880-12-22
Democratic Vitality.


We observe that some Republican
papers however, of the rural
persuasion predicting the early
dissolution and the final wiping out of
the Democratic party. As this predic-
ton has been put forth at various times
and with various degrees of emphasis
and assurance for the past twenty years,
il may be regarded rs somewhat stale;
and therefore it is, we presume, that
none of the more influential Republic
can organs indulge in II repetition of
what has been repeatedly falsified by
the facts. "Oft doomed to death, yet
fited not to die" can be said more tru-
ly of the Democratic party than of any
other political organization the country
has ever seen, or is ever likely to see.
\ vitality which has survived such in
ternal disruption As that of 1850, such
elements of decentralization as those
that prevailed during the war, six sue
cessive Presidential defeats, including
the Presidential fraud, which was worse
than defeat-may be considered prac-
tically 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 power
full and vindictive embellishments
ic life becomes little short of miracle,
and it is difficult to imagine any conf
binalion of circumstances To suspend
the miracle.
To those vino study politics from
what may he 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 achiev-
ell Ii was i'm the mind of Thomas JEFF
ferson and other apostles of human lib
erty i'm Europe Is well IA America,
while England and her colonies were
still united in apparently indissOluble
bonds, and a bright and seemingly UNI
realizabIe dream This bedrock is sim
ply the rights, power and wisdom of
the people in their broadcast and best
sense. Lincoln, though he went-un-
willingly, we believe-widely astray i'm
practice, enunciated the Democratic
theory with absolute correctness i'm the
famous sentence, "a government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
pie" This il JeffersOnian Democracy
of the straightest and purest sort. The
Federalism-which MIR.
Garfield so much admires and his party
has virtually adopted-is Government
Of radically different character Ii is
''strong Government, the strength
coming from those centraliZing tenden-
cies which invariably and inevitably
diminish and at last absorb the rights
and power of the people. Ii is "splen-
lid Governments" the splendor being
at the expense of the peoples pocket,
and intended to blind their eyes to the
gradual loss of their liberties-a loss for
which there is no remedy save revOlu-
ion. I'm republic, therefore, there
must always be Democratic party;
hat is, party which represents the
Jeffersonian theory of government as
opposed to the Hamiltonian. When
he Democratic party dies, the Repub-
ic will have ceased to exist. The name
Democratic" is nothing, and another
night he substituted whenever desira- |
Die. The Democratic party of Jetfer-
'on's day was called Republican"
But the principles are everything, and
when these are abandoned popular gov
,rnment will be i'm its coffin. Ii the
present Democratic party were to dis
oand, as did its. gallant rival, the Wing,
Nllfiln SIN lilOntil- III Nouiu nave SUI
,essor embodying, no matter how much
disguised, the same essential and fun
lamental ideas. And while Democrat
&c policy may he this, that or the 9TH
ar thing--and Is occasionally the reverse
Of Democratie-the principle is immut-
able and immortal; 1.-The same yester-
lay, to-day and forever"
1t is easy, therefore, for the dullest of
our Republican friends to see that
though they have beaten the Demo-
cratic candidate for the Presidency Tor
the sixth successive time Including
the fraud they are no nearer destroy
ing the Democratic party than when
Fremont was nominated. They have
merely thrown down the India rubber
ball again, and may now watch it
bounce once more-as it has bounced
nine times i'm the last eighty years.
This "bouncingness," if we may coin a
word, is illustrated i'm the invincible good
nature with which Democrats have
borne their latest defeat. They are
not sour and sullen n We're the Repub-