Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-03-29
Democrats Should Honor the First
President.

DemOcIalS CHOuAu HOHOT Lue cnSS
President.
, Our esteemed contemporary, the Pal
ladiuna. declared Friday that it is not
worried because the Democrats cele-
brate Washington's birthday. but mere
" aston shed at their ''effroD terry"
Proceeding. it says.
The pla tact of history is that tho
Democratic party not only villitied and
abused Washington when alive, but has
done its best. notably during the past
twenty-five years, to set at naught the
a principles he most ardently cherished.
1t has stood for everything that he OPP
posed. including disunion and dishonor
o. National obligations. Instead OF,
gIs, rifying itself on Washington birth
dav it on , t to do penance for its long
reco, OF misdeeds which have brought
so rsrtuc. h sorrow and dishonor upon the
Nation which he founded. That it fails
to do tin 8 but instead seizesj upon the
occasion t. exalt itself. is but another
illustration IF its brazen impudence and
ignorant perv efsity." .~f"T'
From this on would almost be per-
shaded that Was shington was q Repub-
lican, but unfortn 'nately for that claim
the present Repub.' lean party was not
founded until fifty ears after Washing
toms death If not L'ominally Demo-
crat, Washington was q Democrat in
principle before and during the Revo-
Iutionary War. Indeed, the very pre-
text for rebellion was an unjust tax,
something like the present Republican
tariff: Governor Beniam +. Butler. at
the Democratic Banquet held at Boston,
recently, clearly pointed out Washing
ton Democratic ideas. Said Butler:
I,,f ~ ->fy
incton, there was one quality which
was not brought SUI liciently into promi-
nence, and that was that which shows
him TO have been a man. The result
was that the people reverenced him as
sort Of deIni-Sod instead OF loving
him as a man. lie has been placed on
the pedestal of his virtues SO high that
the people almost feared to love him Us
I they loved The great father Of Democ-
racT, Thomas jefferson. The Democ-
racv has a right to celebrate his, as
well as .he latter's birthday. 1t was
the Democracy. which fought the Revo-
| lutionary War. The fortunes of those
men who gathered in the Convention
ing the wealth of Hancock, Franklin,
Carroll and Washington, would hardly
have sulficed to have paid the board
bills of the Convention. The poor men
stood by the country in its hour of
need, and by the force of their love Of
liberty, by the force of their devotion
to principle. by the energy and the
character they brought into the con-
test they compelled to fight with them
what were known as Che better ele-
ments of society of that day. They
drove into the ranks the clergy and the
men of wealth. They drove into the
supporter the country all who had the
slightest love of liberty, and those who
Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island.
Washington joined he Democracy and
became part OF US and one of lie"
The struggle of the Revolution, in
which Washington bore the leading
part was a contest of the common
people against the aristocracy, wealth,
officehOlders and UBIQUITOUS legislation
OF England It was a struggle for e lual
rights, for the Democratic principle of
local self-governmentan and for equal tax
alton. These are the fundamental prin-
ciples of the Democratic party of to-
day. The only we'll established princi-
pie which the Republican party ever
had was the torcible abolition of South
ern Slavery. But Washington himself
was a Southerner and stakeholder, and
ton had been alive in 1851 he would
have drawn his sword in defense of his
native state and against the forcihle
abolition of slavery, as did all of his
Virginia people. In his late years
Washington leaned toward Federalism,
but that was q long way from modern
Republcanis4n. In his farewell address
his most solemn appeal to his country
men was that they should refrain from
uniting themselves with any such sec
tional party as is modern Republican
ism. Washmgton's greatest fame was
gained when he was fighting the battles
of the common people against central
lied form OF government. against Dig
nitaries, the rich, the monopolists and
unjust law makers OF his day. In that
contest he was Demo rat of the Dem
ocrats, and the Democratic party of to-
dav does well to honor George Wash
inotOn.-Ae2C U0Ce7a RcQister. r"