The Russellville Democrat., 1882-02-09
PERTINENT INTERROGATO-
 RIES AND ANSWERS.

1st. What are political issues. State and National?
 2d. fthere are any, what are they
 3d. If there are none, why should we prefer the one party to the other?
 4th. What are tine real differences which divide the Democratic and Re publican parties?
 To these direct questions the subscri- Der most respectfully asks direct an swer. Yours respectfully,
 c. k. ToBEY.
 Russellville, Feb. Ist.
 We will, without mental reservation, or purpose of evasion.
 To dispose at once of your third in- terrogatory, we would say that if there were no political issues, there would be no reason why the one party should be preferred to the other.
 To lst direct interrogatory: The le- gal signification of an issue as applied to pleadings of law, is defined to be a single, certain and material point issu- ing out of the written alterations of the parties litigant, affirmed on one side and denied on the other, and are divided into issues of law and issues of fact. As political issues are always is- sues of fact that is the only kind that need be noticed here.
 Questions of public policy on which the citizens of state or nation are di- vided are defiued to be, political issues. And when these issues concern the state eniy. in this country they are said to DC state issues, and when they concern the Federal government-Na- tional issues.
 People who entertain similar views CT questions of public policy unite to- getheT and give expr ession in em bodied form to their opinions, which declara- ton of tenets is called the sPlatform" of the party. These platforms define, or are supposed to define, the policy of the party on all questions of public policy, and may be termed the written alterations of the great political par ties of the country. and in so far as they express different policies, they raise an issue, called political issue. and on the issues thus raised, the polit- ical parties put themselves upon the country.
 To 2d direct tinterrogatory The great political issues of to-day may be said to be, lst-States rights and self govern ment. 2d-The finance. 3d-The tariff. State issues involve pretty much the same principles.
 There are other issues between the republican and democratic parties, but they all may be referred to these three, in the same manner as "doth the in- land brooks empty themselves into the main waters" it is not necessary to take notice of them at this time.
 In discussing these issues, the answer to your 4th interrogatory will be appa- rent. It has always been tenet of the democratic party, that our system of government is duplex. That We have two separate and distict governments, State and National. That each is par amount and supreme over subjects within their respective jurisdictions. That the Federal government, is a gov ernment of enumerated and limited powers supreme within the sphere of their limitation.
 That the Union is a union of States, and that the powers thus delegated, were delegated by the states to the gem eral government to be exercised jointly for the welfare of all; each state re- serving to itself the great residuary mass of powers to be exercised by it's own separate government. As modi- fled by the war, "the Union is indis- and the states are indestruct- able" That in the last resort the Federal government is the judge Of the powers delegated, but that the consti- tuition is the measure of its judgement. On the other hand the republican party ignore the indestructabi!ity of the states, the union of the states, and in- sist that we are collectively as individ- uals united on the principles of social 
 That all power is centralized in the General government. That the states are but so many subordinate dependen- cies, bearing the same relation to the General government that counties do to the states.
 This interpretation of the constitu- tiou is imperialism in it's most hideods ferm, and contrary to all the tradit itions of eur liberty loving ancestors, and if must ultimately result in the destruction of all government.
 If for no other reason than the tliffer- ,nt interpretation put by the two par ies on the consultation we would be lemocrat. In tact, our government is subverted if the interpretation of the republican party is to stand.
 The difference between the two par ies on Finance consists in thls, he republican policy is to demonetize md restrict the coinage of silver, to make gold the exclusive basis of cir ;ulation of money, to perpetuate the National banking system forever, put ng 1t on the theory that "National IA Ia, sl sf sh h. Sk,t