The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1880-01-17
ARE TWO PARTIES ESSEN.
THAL TO THE MAMIE.
NANCE OF A REPUBLICAN
OvERNMENT. -

main anything else than Imperialis
tic. We might for time not have
crowned Emperor, or an Empire in
form, but we would have what is
still worse, an Empire u, fact-an
empire Of thought, without any oppo-
sition to check or control its AFRO
gance or imperial sway, as "The i'm
perta2 Democracy of Athens" Where
there is not opposition there will be
imposition. But for the numerous
| curves and bends in the great rivers
to obstruet and check the rapidity of
| fow,they would run away with them
selves, and their usefulness would
be turned into more than demons of
waste and destruction. An Empire
Of thought, or reason, if you please,
in Governmental sense, would Of
necessity concentrate in the Erecu-
the head Of the Government impe-
rial direction. He would thereby be
crowned with imperial voice. HE
would sonnd his imperial clarion
along the whole line of battle"
Wherefore, to maintain a Democratic
Republican Governments IN form and
IN fact. we must have at least t,oo
parties, that one may watch and ex
pose the errors and abuses of the
other--thus each Of these parties are
made to purify itself, and at the same
time, curb the improper ambition and
assumptions of the other. Each will
serve to put the other on its good be-
harior for the time being at least.
Not only so, but in this way the
masses are made acquainted with
what their public servants do, and
thus, qualified to inteHigently correct
the errors and abuses in a constitu-
tional way. 1t is as natural for a
party, long in power, to become cor.
rupt and arrogant as it is for pond
or lake to gather mud; and it must
be cleaned out at reasonably short
periods, in order to be healthy and
safe. A turned out party either
dies, and Phoenix like, springs up in
some new shape, or else it goes to the
stool of repentance and becomes won
derfuliy purified, if not regenerated;
and as the political devils are cast
out of this repentant party, they ask
permission to enter the swine of the
dominant party, and then the seed
of its disintegration is sown; and
now the concerted party begins to an
CT ease, and the other to decrease, I'M
til these devils have again to shift
their quarters as before; and so we
see, if there is not divinity there is
at least philosophy that shapes all
our ends. But when we argue that
it is absolutely essential to the per-
petuity of Republican Government,
that We have tDo parties we mean
that those parties must be wholly
loyal or submissive to the COnstitu-
ton and lars of the land; and fully
! sensible to, and bound by the solemn
oaths of Office prescribed by that
| Constitution and law. There must
be no dispute or difference between
these parties, as to doing or not do
ing what the constitution and laws
declare shall be done or not done.
Ours is Government Of positice
lac, thus saith the law, and its SUI
| premacy must be obeyed by all par
ties who claim public suffrage or pat
ronage. To have one party in favor
Of Tar, and the other opposed to lar
would be suicidal and intolerable.
O to encourage party who faoors
the Constitution and laws so far as
they suit, or will advance the political
interests or behests Of that party.
and oppose both Constitution and
statute, when they do not suit or
please them, is worse than suicidal,
it is mddaess-parties, like persons,
dare not oppose law, whether su-
preme or subordinate, for any other
4 purpose or manner, than to procure
its repeal in lawful way-all other
opposition is notification and un-
lawful. But parties, like persons.
may well and lawfully differ as to
the mode or manner of enforcing a
law, so far as not prescribed by it.
self, as well as in the mode and man.
ner Of administering the Government,
SO far as rests upon implied grants
Of power in that Government. There
are SO many different ways to do
nearly everything terrestrial, that
men and parties may well and hon
estly differ as to which is the better
mode. Our Federal Government is