Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-17
lall.astc, tittelliqencer.
FRIDAY EVENING. MARCH II, 1854.
Je6ersOnian PRINCIPLES.

FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH II, 1851.
Jehersonian Principles.
Old men for counsel, young men for
war. The Democratic party has enough
of both to give wise direction to its af-
fairs and to infuse energy into its organ
ization. There have of late been vari-
Gus gatherings in the country at or for
which the views Of old and young Dem
ocratic leaders have found expression.
II is potable that they harmonic in the
avowed purpose to bring the Democratic
party back to the principles of its found
er, Thomas jefferson. It is marvellous
how these principles endure and how
serviceable they are for every political
emergency which may arise. "The il
lustrious men who settled our free in
stitutions," in truth, founded the Dem
ocratic party to preserve then," and
they perennially keep Washington's and
Jefferson's and Jackson's birthdays,
who labor with voice and pen
and vote 20 keep the Demo-
cratic party to its ancient moor
ings or to restore it to them when it is
led astray. In commencing the forma-
ton of Jeffersonian societies, and more
particularly in noting the valuable ser
vices rendered by the society in York,
we have frequently directed the atten-
tion of our readers to the fitness of az.
plying the Jeffersonian principles to ex-
listing political conditions. Superficial
observers are apt to say that no sub
stantial issue divides the two political
parties now, when substantially the
same issues distinguish them as when
Jefferson and Hamilton established their
different systems. The one il as bene-
fcent and the other as dangerous now as
then. A change of time may alter the
subjects to which these principles shall
be applied, but as absolute principles
they have survived all the vicissi-
tudes Of parties and no better test can be
applied to the practical political ques-
tions of the day.
In his vigorous and trenchant letter
which we print to-day, Senator Wallace
most happily points out that the
present duty of the Democracy
and the task in which all who
profess its principles may consist
emily unite, is to "strip ourselves
of responsibility for a system that en-
ables men so to WELD official place and
SO to manipulate franchises granted by
the people, as to amass princely fortunes
in decade, at the expense of their
rights and privileges, and we must at
tack with unbought pen and the Won
drous power Of honest poverty, the use
of those fortunes to corrupt the sources
and channels Of public opinion and to
pollute the ballot-boX.' 1t has only
been by the gross abuse of the functions
of government that the party in power
has kept itself in power, and to get it
out of power it is the true policy of the
opposition to make the issue of every
campaign return to what Mr.. Tilden
in his admirable letter to the 1roquois
club, calls g the benefcent Jeffersoniau
philosophy. which prefers that nothing
shall be done by the general government
which the local authorities are compe-
tent to do, and nothing by any govern.
mental power which individuals can dc
for themselves
With the astuteness Of practical
politician, as well as with the philosophy
and patriotism of far-sighted
statesman, Mr.. Wallace recognizes
and makes plain that no good
principles of government, however su-
premely salutary, can be made effective
without organization. He remarks the
permanent organization Of the Republi.
cans with their army of officeholders,
and the resources of the government
the populations from its treasury, to sup.
ply its campaign fund. The associations,
therefore, which teach the pure political
gospel must be supplemented by a "vi'
talized, everything, systematic and
thorough organization, and, to Sc
cure this, well directed and per
manept effort is worth more than
money. For some time the INTEL
L1aENCER has advocated a permanent
and systematic organization Of the state
Democracy, which we believe would
supply the lack that Mr.. Wallace points
out as now existing. It was formulated
into rules submitted to the last state
convention, which were almost univer.
sally approved by the party of the state
and would have been adopted had it not
been for the pure diabolism Of some OF
the Philadelphia delegates who OBJ
structed their passage. In the next con.
vention it should be seen to that this
important matter is disposed Of at the
beginning of the proceedings.
1t is worthy of note that nearly all
the letters of prominent Democrats sent
to the recent celebration in Chicago are
pervaded by the tone Of the Jeffersonian
revival. Mr.. Tilden, as we have seen.
admirably summarizes it. Mr.. Bayard
recalls it with fervor Mr.. Randal!'s
letters to the Iroquois and the Boston
celebration both emphasize it; and Mr.
Hurd and Mr.. Watterson, while giving
free vent to their free trade notions,
recognize the JeffersOnian ideas as the
salt Of our political system. Men who
differ widely on points of party policy
seem to be getting back to the common