Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-12-21
or, "riN. ,~ui>.I"> reW.
OlixrlA lGlbN rE'lll pr. Il. 1888


i'ilrctug people that there Is hut
llie difference between the two
great parties Of the present day
tia, The old questions which gave
'Ni,tcuco 81 political organization
md the ISSUES whlcn have arisen al
along the line ~ progress IN our
national growth. have become ALSO
lstc. or were merged IN others of
greater moment that have been de
cidod 10y the srbl,ramtnt of arms.
tousIIcraiion Of the subject Will,
however. convince ANY candid mind
that thus ~ not tue. Tho leavcn
OF the Democratic party opposition
10 Federalism aiways has existed,
sull exists At no time ~ oar ma
uonsl history was this principle
more seriously threatened than at
tie close u the war. when II Ishod
with victory. mcu IN high places
openly proclaimed their support Of
measures for greatly augmenting
the power OF the Executive branch
the Government. These were the
feelsrs for sympathy which mo
vitality tended ~ the establishment
OF a despolism on the runs Of free
republican government. Fortuna
tely these utterances found but little
favor with the masses, and except
In the support OF Graniism and the
building up Of moueyed obligarchy,
It made but little progress.
During the war, no principle was
more persistently held and declared
by the Administration than that the
conflict was 10 restore tho secedlng
States 10 the Union with all their
rights unimpalred. II was upon
this express declaration that all other
issues were, for tho time being,
ignored. True Democrats readily
discs'ned in the question AZ pre-
scented. the essential principle which
Icy at the worry foundation of their
political creed. II was an assertion
Of the power delegated to the Gen
eral Government TO preserve invio-
late those reserved powers held by
the States respectively. MI. Lin
coin was too much OF patriot, even
had he the audscity to attempt. to
lead the Union hosts in any other
direction. II would inevitably have
ended In disaster and ruin.
II. then, any question was more
definitely settled by the war than
that the States could not DO deprived
Of their Supreme authority. within
the sphere Of their reserved powers,
II does not find place in the history
Of the conflict. 1t was upon this OK.
press understanding that the rebels
finally laid down their nr,ns and re-
turned 10 their allegiance under the
Constitution. But here began anew
the assertion Of tho doctrine held by
Hamilton in the constitutional Con.
vsntion Of 1887, that the Federal
authority should be supreme. The
Southern States became mere pup
pets 10 DO moved at the caprice o.
tho national will. They we're de
clared out OF the Union 20 far as thu
civil rights Of their citizens were
concerned, but in tho Union TO ratify
proposed amendments to the Con
stitution; out OF the Union when i
came 10 representation in Congress
but in the Union 10 DO subject t.
laws planned and prescribed for " re
construction. 1t was this ipiustic.
that made tho South solid; it wa,
this iniquity which led many OF tn,
friends Of tho Administration TO fol
low the lead Of President johnson
and finally TO change tho politics o
Congress and elect q Democrat,
President by . popular majority o
over q quarter Of million votes.
Here again, Federal power wa
invoked. and by tho sham proceed
ings Of the Electoral Commits sion
backed by bayonsts. the popular vii
WAS subvertsd and this outrageou
act Of . central despotism upheld
Since then tho moneyed rings hav,
openly bought State elections will
funds stolen from the public treasury
II liz FOLLY 10 assume that there j,
no marked difference between tn,
parties. with these facts in view
There arc. Of course. other impor
tant issues, but none OF such vita
force. II Affects the very nature o
our Government. II lies at III,
foundation OF all other interests
The mission Of the Democratic part,
Ia to keep it alive. Without a pow
erful array Of strength against it, i
could not DO held in check. Tn,
great Washington, with propheti
wisdom. saw this tendency of human
nature. wien he uttered this solem,
warming The spirit Of sncroach
ment tends TO consolidate the pow
ers Of the Government into one, an,
thus to create, whatever the form o
government. Q real despotism
Anain Ia .asa. Da..: a. - -.