The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-12-29
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Its Mission and Its Principles.
ISenator William A. Wallace. of Pennsylvania, in
the North American Review.l

TSenator William A Wallace. of Pennsylvania in
| the North American Review
The events and processes OF more than
/ generation have taken the control of Gov
ernmental affairs away from the intelligent
rule of the masses and vested it in power
as yet formative and underlined. Among
these were the civil war, the creation and
peculiar manipulation of the public debt,
reconstruction outside the Constitution,
universal negro suffrage plethora OF pa
per money, loose public morals, enormous
| growth of private fortunes, and a close con-
nection of the Government with the bank
/ ing interest. Each had its weight in sap
ping the foundations of government by
| the masses and in shaping our course toward
a different rule. Whether that rule is to be
suffrage, qualified and rariied, or suffrage
controlled by the power of aggregated
garchy, or hereditary government, is beside
the present inquiry, save as they each and all
show dIstrust of the people and build their
foundations upon universal suffrage, de-
based, corrupted and dominated.
The tendency toward so-called stronger
Government is as manifest as are the causes
that have given it form. 1t IS in the nature
of things for Government to grow stronger
at the expense of the governed; but the
plain proof of the existence of this tend
ency is found in the opinions of the Federal
judiciary in Federal legislation over mat
tiers heretofore within the control of the
people OF the States, in the modes of execu-
ton of those statutes, by which local rule,
Local courts and personal liberty are over
thrown. and in that ramihcation of execu-
tive patronage which sends its mandates to
the extremities, and at will gathers in single
hand enormous contributions and unscrup
lOus obedience from 10000 paid officials
Executive patronage will bring us to a
master" Anet-work of otfice-holders, bound
each to the other welding time and money
and power of place to pack primaries, dictate
nominations, crush independent thought
and action and subordinate local control TO
the will of an executive who governs in the
name of party, points the road with unerring
certainty to the end that Franklin, the wise
man, predicted. Further guide-boards on
that road are seen in large donations of
money by corporations, monopolists and
wealthy men, to supplement the power of
the executive and carry elections in the in
tereSt of an aristOcratic class who dislike and
distrust the people; in the domination of
employee by employer; in the marked bal
lot; in the third-term candidacy and pill
grimage on the stump; in the national and
labor organizations, which are but over
jealous protests against this tendency, and
J in that ill-concealed demand for energetic
government, which has been the funda-
mental thought of the opponents of pemoc-
racy since the days of John Adams.
The issues of 1893 and 1900 again confront
the people The theories of that day are
again to struggle for the mastery. The Gov
eminent of the Republic is already central
lied The canvass of 1880 teaches this The
Federal executive has been felt from the
Ward caucus to the vaults of the Treasury,
from the primary to the Presidential cleo
ton. A high Federal official quits his place
to take nomination for Governor OF the
pivotal State and at once the executive arm
is extended to his support. Marshals, de-
tectives Collectors Secretaries, and all else
that are needed, locate themselves within
the State. and its suffrage is debauched and
! its undoubted will reversed. A suffrage, first
debased, then corrupted, then obedent, is
Capitalization in its worst form. This is but
one means to the end sought The mission
of the Democratic party is decentralization.
Its duty is to restore the Government of the
Republic to the intelligent rule of the
masses of the people. 1t must teach and
, practice the doctrines of its illustrious
founder. 1t must appeal to the people
themselves in their own interest 1t must
preach the eternal truth that the individual
citizen is the unit IN government, from
whom proceeds all power, in whom is vested
all rights save those which are granted by
him for the good of the whole. The people
at the base, the States and the Federal Gov
ernmenteach supreme withinits sphere is the
, system to which it looks for liberty and ii
must teach that he who looks to paternal
Government to Capitalization. or to empire,
looks to despotism. Care for and perfect
the Government, and it will protect the lib
critics of the people, was the thought OF
Hamilton. Give intelligence and informa-
ton to the people, teach them that it is
their Government, and their interest to pre-
serve law and order, was the thought of JEFF
ferson. Paternal Government and vigor in
the Federal head on the one hand, informa-
ton to the masses and energy from the eX-
tremities on the other. The former gave
the Republic alien and sedltion laws direct
taxation, Federal Marshals and centralized
rule In 1899 The latter swept these out of
existence in 1900; carried us successfully
through two foreign wars; acquired an EN-
pire OF territory and governed the country
for sixty years. We must choose between
these two now. The Democracy must
again plant itself upon the axiom, Govern
ments are made for men, not men for Gov
ernments" 1t must strike with mailed hand
the tendency to strong Government. 1t
must be true to the people and aggressive in
its fealty. Dominated labor must be taught
its rights and its interests. Capital must see
its safety in the intelligence and justice of
individual rule, and not in the exercise of
arbitrary will Honest performance of every
Governmental contract now in existence, but
a change of policy by which the debt shall
be managed in the interest of the people and
not of the creditor; equal taxation on every
form of property thorough inquiry into tax
alton for revenue and its readjustment upon
basis just to every interest and to all the peo-
pie; no monopolies; forfeiture of the fran
chises of corporations and punishment of
aggregated wealth, or individuals, for coer-
cion of employees. or the use of money in
elections; our own carrying trade made to be
our own preserve; and divorce between
Government and banks, are thoughts which
find place in such an issue. The cry of a
solid South" is exhausted and impotent at
last 1t has served its purpose. Divided
councils upon questions of administration
have kept the Democracy mere party of
Opposition, and concealed the silent ap-
tproaehesl of the enemy to strong Govern
ment. IL viii continue TO be party in OPP
position, entrusted and untried, untilit de-
family asserts its ancient theories and goes
to the people for their vindication.
The Democratic party is not dead. An
taus-like, after each defeat, ii arises from