The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1883-03-30

Our esteemed contemporary. he ~
Icdinm. declared Friday hat e y nos
worried because The rcm0crais oslo
brAte Washlngton's birthday. but mere
y astonished - their ''clfroDicry."
Proceeding. 4 says:
The plan fact Of history 4 that the.
Democratic party not only vilIified and
abused Washington when alive. but haG
done IL best. notably during the past
twenty-five years. 20 sct = nauRhf the
principles he most nrdently cherished
Il has stood for everything that he op-
posed. including disnnion and di<h0n0r
Of National obligations. Instead %
glorifying itself on Washingfon's birth
day Il ought 70 do penance Tor is long
record Of mi<deeds which have brought
80 much SORROW and dishonor upon The
Nation which be founded. That Il fails
70 do tbs. but instead seizes upon the
occasion 70 exalt itself. Is but another
illustration Of its bra,en impotence and
ignorant perversity."
From this one would almost Be PER-
suaded that Washington was 3 Repub-
lican. but unfortunately for that claim
the present Republican party was NOS
founded until fifty years after Washing
tons death. II not nominally Demo
crat. Washington was . Democrat in
| principle before and during the Revo-
lutionary War. Indeed. the very pre-
| text for rebellion was an unjust tax.
something like the present Republican
1 tariff Governor BENJAMIN r. Butler.
at the Democratic banquet held q Bos-
ton. recently. clearly pointed out
| W..Itr.~<<,f n.,...c~~<:,~ :Io.. GA
Butler:
I'm the historical portraits Of wash
ington. there was one quality which
was not brought sufficiently into promi-
hence. and that was that which shows
him 70 have been . man. The result
was that the people reverenced him -
. sort of demi-god instead Of loving
him as q man. He has been placed on
the pedestal Of his virtues 50 high that
the people almost feared to love him -
they loved the great father Of Democ-
racy Thomas jefferson. The Demoo-
racy has right TO celebrate his. =
well ~ the latter's birthday. Il was
the Democracy which fought the Revo-
! lufionary War. The fortunes Of those
men who gathered IN the Convention
! which declared independence. exciud-
I ing the wealth Of Hancock. Franklin.
| Carroll and Washington. would hardly
\ have sui'iced 70 have paid the board
bills Of the Convention The poor men
stood BY the country in its hour o.
need. apd by the force Of their love q
liberty. by the force Of their devotion
70 principle, BY the energy and the
charaeter they brought into the con-
test they compelled % fight with them
! what were known as :he better e!o-
ments Of society OF that day. They
drove into the ranks the clergy and the
men Of wealth. They drove into the
support Of the country all who had the
slightest love Of liberty. and those who
had not they drove on 10 Halifax and
Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island
washington oined he Democracy and
became part OF u and one 81 as.
The struggle Of the Revolution. n
which Washington bore the leading
part. was D contest Of the common
people against the aris,ocracy. wealth.
ofliccholders and iniquitous legislation
Of England II was struggle Tor ual
rights. for the Democratic principle q
local scn-goyernment and for equal tax
alton. These are the fundamental prin-
ciples Of the Democratic marty q to-
dar. The only ell.cstahlishcd rrinci-
pie which the Repu lican party ever
had was The forcible abolition Of Sonth-
em Slavery. But Washington himself
was Southerner and sIavehnldrr. and
II is perfectly certain that II Washing
ton had been alive il 1851 he would
have drawn his sword in defense OF his
native tate and against the forci l.
abolition 81 slavery. IS did All Of hil
Virginia reople. In bis late years
Washington leaned toward Federal SIN,
but that was long way from moierr
, FepubIicanism- In his farewell address
his most solemn rpreal 10 his country
men WINS that they should refrain from
uniting themselves with any such sec
tional party - u modern Republicans
ism. Washineton's greatest lame wa
gained when he was fighting the battles
Of the common people . ainst central'
ized form Of government. against dig
| nitaries. the rich, the monopolis's and
unjust law makers Of his day. In thai
contest he was Demo raj o. the Dem
ocfats. and the Democratic party Of to
day does well 20 honor George Wash
ington. Aeu Adren Aegisfer.