Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-24
eater, apprehended from the strange

The gospel of Christ was indeed the |
first proclamation of pure democracy on
the earth. 1t was good will to men-to
all men Of every grade and condition.
Translated into politics that means that |
all men should be equal before the law
as they are equal before God !; equal
not merely in their rights to life
and limb, but in their right to
labor as they see fit, and to enjoy the
fruits Of their own endeavors. The Ser
mon on the Mount, and the Declaration of
American Independence contain the same
self evident truths. But they have had a
hard and long struggle to get themselves
placed Oh the human statute book, and to
be kept there after they were enacted.
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty"
We make little advance, and then, if we
relax our efforts in the least, We straight
way lose more than We had gained. Am
bition, greed, the love Of dominion, and the
lust of money unearned, never sleep. 1t is
not within the scope of an article like
this to sketch this struggle, or even to al
ludo to any of it's incidents beyond the
limits of our own fortunate country. But
what have we seen here?
Thomas Jefferson was the great apostle
of human liberty on this continent. He
proposed to start all men in the race of life
upon footing of perfect equality Z; and to
give no man any legal advantage over an
other. In Virginia he broke down the cs
tablshed church repealed the law Of
primogeniture and of entails reduced
the government to pure democracy
and would, if he could, have abolished
negro slavery, concerning the copse-
quences of which to his own race he
trembled, when he thought of the justice
of God. He was also the protector of
system Of popular education, which was
far in advance of the times in which ho
lived, but We beg the young reader to re-
member tho fact when he hears some
brawling demagogue claiming tie credit of
the common school system for party
which was born yesterday, and was born
then only to take up the cause of the few
against the many where Thomas Jcffer
sons ancient enemies were forced to drop
| it.
But Mr.. Jcflcrson's great work OF ''good
viii! to men," did not stop then. Vir-
| giuia was frcc-frcc Of the hOary abuses
of monarchy and aristocracy-aud,h his De-
claration of Independence having been
sustained by arms, the colonies were in
dependent states. But now arose an en-
cmy moro dangerous than the British
crown beyond seas had ever been. 1t was
new and pressing, subtle and insidious.
1t came in the guisc oi patriotism and
lurcd the people by promises of national
power and glory. The party OF which
Alexander Hamilton was thea the head
would have extinguishcd the states, and
set up for general government a practi-
cal monarchy 6 on the British models" :"
Failing III that, they have ever since
boon endcavoring to construc away the
constitution which our wise forefathcrs
gave us, and to establish what they
call "a strong government" with no
limitations but the pleasure or icccs-
sitics of tho administration. They
wanted debts, ,monopolies standing armies,
class distinctions, splcndOr and profusion.
They assaulted the constitution with their
imrliient doctrine of "implicd powers; !"
they undermined it by corruption, and
would have ovcrthrown it by fraud and
force had they been able. But Mr.. Jelfer-
son founded a great party to protect and
defend the constitution, and he led it with
singular prudence and devotion until the
Federalists were turned out of power,
neck and heels, in 1900. His memorable
and glorious administration, and the ad
ministrations Of his Democratic successors,
constituted the golden age Of the republic.
Tic party which Mr.. Jefferson founded
and inspired, and which he trusted would
stand through all the ages like a wall of
fire around the free institutions of Amer
lea, remains to-day what it was then. Its
principles arc unaltercd. 1t says the
fedora! government must be administered
according TO the plain letter Of . the
written charter. Such a government,
as tho administrations of jefferson and
his disciples demonstrated, is pure, simple
and inexpensive. 1t protects all while it
harms none. Its blessings encompass US
like sunshine, its burdens arc unfclt. 1t
creates no monopoly. The power of taxa
ton is used only to support the govern
mcnt, and to provide for the "fcw OBJ
jects' Of federal care, prescribed in the
written constitution. 1t cannot be en-
p!oycd to transfer the proceeds of ono
mans labor to another or to exact trib-
ute from one class of citizens in order to
enrich another. These arc the be-
nciicent doctrines of Democracy. The
political philosophy of Jefferson is but the
morality Of the New Testament applied to
the statc-the golden rule in public affairs
under it's blessed sway the people cat
the bread they have earned it cannot be
snatchcd from the weary hands of labor
to ill the overflowing storchouses of
wealth and monopoly. Riches and pow
crty stand upon the same plane. No man
has a special license to sell dearer or to
charge more for the same service than
another. The Man rules and the Man
is protected in all his natural rights
aud dignity, and not the accident of birth
or property. When Democracy processes