The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-01-21
What Our Political Paroles Rsst o..

/ the poIiticai history ~ the United states
In general and II the Democratic party.
senator Edmunds i not and does not
Affect 10 be- historian. lie thinks and
he admits that he thinks the Democratic
party 20 be wholly wrong alike In lis
aims and It's methods. and the Repub-
lican party 10 be wholly right. Of
course this vitiates the views II Senator
Edmupds, but il does not necessarily
vltiate the value Of these views 10
thoughtful men who will bear the posi-
ton Of Senator Edmunds we'll In mind.
senator Edmunds divides the life Of
the country under our existing Consti-
tuition into three periods the first be-
ginning with the Administration Of
Washington and ending with that Of
John Quincy Adams, the second Begin
ming with Andrew jackson and ending
with James Buchanan. and the third BE-,
ginning with Abraham Lincoln ID end
with Rutherford b. Hayes. In the first
period Mr.. Edmunds thinks that party
divisions "arose from necessary and
intelligent differences Of opinion about
the rights and duties Of the several
States which had established American
independence on the one hand, and
the new Government created by them
on the other hand In his treatment
Of tho second period. the partisan
ship Of Mr.. Edmunds becomes ilagrant
He assumes the Democratic party TO
have been devoted from 1929 to 1861 10
the protection or extension Of slave
labor, 70 free trade "under which," rs
he grotesquely says, :. il was supposed
that the slaveholding cotton-grower
could exchange his products for those
Of the underpaid labor Of Europe with
out giving any encouragement to the
free labor and free schools Of the non
slaycholding States To the confinc-
ment Of Federal authority within the
narrowest limits. and finally To seces-
sion and civil war. The first and fourth
Of these objects. Senator Edmunds half
admits, are no longer held IN view bv
the Democratic party but the second
and third endure. He considers the
Democracy in Congress 10 be .still IN
favor 81 laying customs duties In such
way as to produce the greatest revenue
from given commodity. without any
reference TO securing the labor or our
citizens against unfair and injurious
competition in foreign countries"
Would that there We're no doubt as 10
this! The Democratic hostility TO Ma
tional authority Mr.. Edmunds discovers
IN the present Democratic resistance 70
Federal laws intended 70 regulate, in
Republican sense. the choice Of mem
bers Of Congress BY the several States
lie steers wide Of the differences be-
tween the white and black races, and
also Of the rather important fact that
President Grants Administrations con-
stansly sought TO use the negro vote in
the south as a party instrument. What
would senator Edmnnds have said II the
tremendous machinery Of the Federal
government had been employed in Yer
mont and IN New England year after
year 70 array the Canadian vote, the
Irish vote and the Catholic vote against
the native New England Protestant Re-
publican vote? The time may yet come
Senator Edmunds say Il the power Of
General Garfield . Administration shall
pe exercised p aid the manufacturing
industry Of the land 70 organize its
workmen against tar.h reform?
As matter OF fact Senator Edmnnds
admits, b. his line Of thought. that po-
litical parties in this country. as IL En-
gland. rest upon historical and natural
and not on any Temporary X
AMI artificial foundation. The modern
Conservative and Liberal parties in En-
gland rest on the same foundations in
English history and in certain antithcf-
icai forms in which the human mind Il
east with The Whir ami Tory parties or
the past. Just n parties divided On
State rights ii the Presidential election
q 1900 " the United States. SO do
they divide to-day. What bur a Con-
principle undcrlics the tar.ff
question. which involves the right Of
me Federal Government 70 subsidize