The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-07-06
what do weOwe the PARTY?


There can be no success without
united effort-a self-evident PROPOSE
ton, axiomated and engraited into our
institutions in so many words: Omitted
we standardized we fall" And yet,
how far must this idea lead us in sus-
tanning the party? Do we owe blind
allegiance that ignores principle and
overlooks errors? Verify, nay! Upon
the other hand, when the error made
! does not 20 to the gist of the matter,
or, as the lawyers say, is not part OF
the res gestB and does not affect the
corpus, then it should not operate to
turn US from the course indicated in
the axiom. To apply these conclusions
to the debt question:
Is mans opinion or position upon
the debt question the measure OF his
democracy, and is democracy nothing
more than body of men organized to
count out and regulate the dollars and
cents that are necessary to be used in
running government? 1t is absurd to
affirm such proposition, and yet 1t
must stand affirmed il we allow it to
control our action in supporting the
party.
We hold this fact to be equally as
self-evideut as that above stated: That
the manner and details OF regulating
assessments, collections and payments
OF public monies are mere incidental
items in administering government;
and even granting fraud or gross wrong
or error in making up and manipulate
ing these details--this inciden:al-tbe
regulating or correcting or Furnishing
such fraud or wrong or error are also
matters of detail in administering
government and in no wise go 10 or
affect democratic principles. We grant
that these matters must be controlled
upon principle and constitute a princi-
pie within themselves, and may even
be made an incidental principle of a
party, but it is absurd to say they con-
stitute or can in any way affect the
prime, fundamental principles of de-
pocracy.
Turn back to the fathers and learn
what democracy Is. 1t is liberty made
possible, reduced to form, laid down in
well defined rules and applied to govern
ment. Observe here a principle that
goes to the well-being of humanity for
all time, a principle that embodies
virtue and asserts a right and provides
for their application to the condition OF
men. 1t is not limited to time nor con-
fined in borders. 1t is not per cent.
for five years, nor per cent. for thirty,
nor coupons, nor war interest. These
are details, and there are myriads of
such details, and If we allow each of
them to govern our action, what mex
tricable confusion would ensueI
We conclude, then, that we owe an
allegiance to the party, (if we believe
III it's principles) which must not falter
or be turned aside by minor question OF
detail. This view does
not lose sight OF the Importance of this
minor question, for it is vital in the eX
IRENE, but we contend that our first
duty is TO firmly fix ourselves within the
party upon the higher and grander con-
here family indicated, and
set TO work to regulate this minor ques-
ton within the party.
One other consideration Which is
the democratic party? The body of
the people. We cannot get around this
lit is the foundation stone OF all of it.
This body oil the people spoke at Nash
vile June 20. 1t assumes to be the ex-
ponent of the true principles of de-
mocracy. If errors were made in de-
tails, they do not affect the main
proposition and should be corrected as
they were made, inside the party.
Whether these thoughts strike near
to the correct theory or not, we believe
they do, and believing them as we do,
we shall follow the conclusion and labor
for the success of fundamental de-
mocracy and decline to be run away by
details.