Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-12-24
Is ONE PARTY BETTER THAN AN
OTHER.
From the N Y. Sun,l

We are frequently told bv persons
never troubled with political ronvic-
tious that there is really no difference
in principle between the two parties
which make the politics of the coun-
try. Mr.. Johu Sherman is reported
to have recently declared, while
looking after tis Ohio fences, that
this strife was all sham; 1T was
merely contest for Office; there was
no principle at stake. Yet Mr.. Sher-
man, who makes this extraordinary
confession, is the same who engineer
ed the fraud of 1876. TO keep the DEM
ocrats out of the power they had
fairly won, and who openly said from
his place in the senate that anything
was right which would prevent the
Iopposing party from gaining control
OF the government.
To those who agree with Mr. Sher-
man i'll this opinion, one which has
been thoughtlcssly expressed by many
morally better men than he, ii must
be . matter of small moment what
party is uppermost. General Arthur,
for instance, being personally hon.
est and respectable man, would, In
the eyes of such people, make just Ms
good q president as Mr.. Tilden. On
the other hand, prudent citizens, who
believe that the doctrine aud policy
of one party make the peace and
prosperity of the country, aud that
| those of the other do not, might con-
slider the elevation TO the presidency
of any man opposed to their party
+! great public calamity, even while
feeling the most profound respect for
his personal character.
The democratic party processes to-
day ths principles upon which that
party was founded at the foundation
of the government. They were for
mulated by Mr.. Jefferson, and main-
taiAed III practice through the
Twenty -four years OF Jefferson, Madi-
sou and Monroe. They are all based
upon this great principle of strict
construction. That leads logically
aud inevitably to a simple, pure aud
inexpensive government, confined to
| few objects and administered by a
few servants. The opposite doctrine
Of implied powers, ignoring the teuth
amendment. has been protessed by
the opposition to the democracy from
the earliest to the latest trial ot
strength between them. 1t tends to
wipe out the states by continually
trenching on local power; TO consoli-
dation, imperialism, splendor, ex-
travagance: multiplication of office
holders, and ever increasing eXpsndi-
lures. That these are still the un-
derlytng and auimating principles OF
the two parties is shown by very re.
cent history. Why was Mr.. Tilden
cheated out of the presidency, to
which he had been so overwhelming.
ly elected? Because the rings. mo.
nopoliss, and favored interests which
Lad grown up around the genera
government under the theory'of i'm
piled powers, dreaded the application
of the JeffersonIau rule to their cases
aud foresaw that Mr.. Tilden would
cut them loose from their Gus omar,
supports, and compel them to stanc
or fall without any artificial advan
tage over the rest of their country
men. Again, when the democrats go
control of the house OF represents
tives. the annual expenditures wer'
cut down many millions of dollars
aud beginning, at least, was made
toward return to the simplicity ant
wise economy OF Mr.. Jefsrson's time
What would have been the result hst
not the federalist republicans thrus
their standing army between Mr.
Tilden and the Office to which til,
people had elected him, must remaii
forever matter of conjecture.
These are some Of the reasons IA,
we have usually given our aid to ih
democratic side siuce the develop
ment of Grantism. But if we though
there was .ho difference of principl
between the two parties, we shon!
not concern ourselves with the sue
cess or failure or either.