Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-05-17

the Members of the Jefferson Democratic
Association Of York: GENTLEMEN
| acknowledge the notification by your
president, Hon. Chauncey +. Black,
of nv election to honorary member
shin in your organization. My APP
nreciation of the honor conferred by
YOUR partiality and my acceptance OF
such membership are quickened by an
examination of the documents which
| have received, setting forth the OBJ
iects of your association, and the testl-
mony Of the distinguished democrats
who have been invited to its fellow
ship.
Bearing the houorcd name of him
who was the author of the declaration,
the foremost exponent oi our constltu'
tional system, the founder OF the
democratic party, and who never
abated his faith in the government OF
the people by themselves, yon may
with righteous confidence in the peren-
NAL efficacy of his principles re.assert
them as living political faith.
My present official concern for the
most nearly perfect organization OF
the democratic party in the state, Will
Justify me in expressing the high estl-
mate which | set upon the influence OF
a network of such associations as
yours. If these organizations were
extended throughout the state, their
rolls would represent great body OF
its most intelligent and active demo
Gratis, whose united thought and action
could not fail to pow eriuIly and bene-
fcially influence the sentiment of the
party. The effect would be 10 educate
speakers and writer's who could appeal
with conviction to the individual
Judgment of the voters at time, like
this, when in the reaction against poll
tical "bosses" and machines the
power of such appeal to common
sense and common honesty Is greatly
heightened.
1t is the happy fortune of those who
hold TO the democratic faith that they
can afford to go up the river of time
to the first fountains OF good and evil.
1t only needs that the generations
should know the Jefersonian princ-
pies to vote them into effect.
The time has come in this STATE to
prove the superior wisdom of an or
ganization in detail, "from the people
up" In that work | recognize no
more important factor than associa.
tions which will not disband after an
election, nor wait for the bugle OF
convention to call them into action,
but which will increasingly, month
after month-and especially in the
season when mems minds are least in
famed with party zeal and most open
to the truth dispassiona;ely stated
labor to spread the fundamental ideas
of democracy.
Besides the immediate practical aid
furnished to the regular party organ.
ization, such a system of voluntary
associations would promote party unity
by directing the attention of democrats
everywhere to the vital underlying
basis of their principles; they would
present open doors to those who
through labor, grange or anti'monop.
oily association now with honest pur.
pose but scattering and Intellectual
force, protest against evils which have
been infused into our institutions only
by departures from the JeilersOnian
WAYS they would successfully appeal
to the pride and interest of the indl.
vidual voter in the exercise of his
rights and privileges as the unit in our
political system foreign born, as well
as native citizens, would speedily recog.
nize the distinction between the party
which has maintained the Inheritance
of Jefiersonian tolerance and freedom,
and that which is the legitimate heir
to the spirit of the prescription and
tyranny that has appeared periodically,
under new names and forms, but with
unchanged purposes, and has never
failed to meet with popular condemna-
tion when fairly submitted to the
decision Of the ballot box and the
young men Of the state and country,
disgusted with the debauchery of re-
publican rule, would naturally flock
with enthusiasm to standard which
has emblazoned upon it the promise,
and the potency as we'll, of better
things.
You have anticipated one objection
which might arise to your association
by the declaration that you will "as
an organized body take no part in
struggles at primary or delegate elec-
tions, or suffer any person. under any
circumstances, to make his member.
ship a stepping stone to public office"
With your purposes thus clearly de.
fined and approved by the eminent
authorities who have united with you
to promote them, it is no occasion for
surprise that since your first organiza-
ton there has been such general re.
sDonse of approval similar and sister