The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-03-09
JEFFERsoNIAN DEMOCRACY.
Letter of Parton, the Author, to Demo-
cratic Club.

cratic Club.
The York, Pa, Daily of the 4th pub
lished the following letter from James
Parton, the author, acknowledging his
election as an honorary member Of the
jefferson Club of that place:
NEwBURYPoRT, MASS,
February 18th, 1882.
Chauncey F. Black, Esq.
DEAR SIR:-I accept with gratitude
the honor done me by the Jefferson
Democratic Association of York, in ad-
ding my name to their list of honorary
members. l thank you, also, both for
the documents accompanying your letter
and for the agreeable manner in which
you communicate the action of your as
sOciatiOn.
For many years 1 have wished to see
the Democratic party re-created in the
spirit of its illustriOus founder and OF
his worthy colleagues, Madison and Gal
latin. have, nevertheless, voted with
the Republican party from its Organiza-
tiOn, and do not doubt that an i'm
mense majority of its members and of
its leaders are honest and patriotic
men.
On every national issue except one
Ghe extension of slavery the Democratic
party seems to me to have been sub
stantially right; but, in the course of
time that one issue became all-impOrt-
ant, so that every other interest had to
stand aside until it was settled. Hap
PLY, by the union of patriotic men of all
parties, that terrible question is forever
at rest. and the time seems now ripe for
a revival of the simple and august
principles which triumphed in 1900.
Not that we should follow Thomas
Jefferson, or any other man, with
thOughtless deyOt on. jefferson n and
his colleagues were sufficient for their
own day; but no man, and no group of
men, can be sufficient for all days. New
questions are upon us, new dangers, and
new difficulties; and we have to ask our
selves, not merely what jefferson did in
his time, but what he would be likely to
attempt or advise If he were now present
among us.
1 think, for one, that he would be a
Civil Service RefOrmer, because the
SpOils System is not Democratic. 1t
savOrs of personal government, which
he hated. | think he would be a more
positive and sweeping Free Trader even
than he was in his own lifetime; and
yet he would probably not desire to
precipitate Free Trade and unsettle in
a moment the work of sixty years. He
would wish rather to proceed cautiously
having in view the total, but not sudden,
expiration of the protective system.
l think, too, that he would endeavOr
to remedy an inconvenience from which
every President of the United States has
suffered; an Inconvenience resulting
from the inadequate compensation of
the higher officers of Government. A
king can get any man to serve him, be-
cause q king can OffeI to the most Valu-
able man his market price, while a
President of the United States, represent
ing the richest employer in the world,
has an extremely limited range Of choice,
because he cannot make it possible for
poor men to accept difficult situations
without doing violence to their own in
terests. When President Jefferson asked
James Monroe to proceed, on short no.
tice to Paris, to negotiate for the pur-
chase of Louisiana, he lamented that he
could not offer him just compensation,
such as a merchant or corporation
would give for private service OF cor
responding Importance. When the ne
gOtiatiOn was at an end, by which the
United States obtained an acquisition of
territory more important to it than any
country has ever yet permanently OBJ
tanned by conquest, Mr.. Monroe retired
only to render other gratuitOus services,
and to end fifty years of arduous public
life in insolvency and dependence. How
different the fate of the negOtiatOr en-
plOyed by the Emperor Napoleon for the
few days service rendered by him with
out leaving home! For that single act
Napoleon made NJ. de MarbOis present
of nearly forty thousand dollars.
Thomas Jefferson never contemplated
a government either Of milliOnaires or
poor devils; nor politics controlled by
bosses assisted by puei lists and bar keep
eTs. He wished to see cities governed
by men who had proved their capability
by having succeeded in business for
themselves. We can tell with GER
tainty what kind of men he would now
wish to see in Office, whether Federal
State or Municipal, by recalling the men
chosen by himself, when he held the
appointing power. Every member of
his Cabinet was literally educated
man, and he chose persons of proved
ability for emplOyments demanding men
of business.
He hated the hereditary principle be-
cause, as he said, sit heaped Importance
upon idiots" The Boss system does the
same, and hence, am bound to conclude,
he would have hated that, if he had lived
to see it developed.
wish your Society great prosperity
and success. Thomas jefferson be-
queathed to us immortal principles; it
is our humber part to create methods
for giving those principles effect. The
nation has not become corrupt; it has
simply grown very large and very rich.
We have to adjust our politics to larger
conditions, and apply JeffersOnian
principles to the government of a vast
and growing empire. In this arduous
work trust your Society will bear a
part. Respectfully yours,
JAMES PARTON.