The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-03
LETTERS TO YOUNG REPUBLICANS.
NO. 5.


Written for the Indianapolis Journal.
My Young Friends-A doctrine is the teach
ing of any considerable body of persons. We
have, therefore, doctrines of churches, societies.
and parties Every doctrine has its extreme
All doctrines are meant to be practieed in the
mean but are often praetieed in the extreme by
their disciples in moments of rage or prejudice
The extreme of doctrine is the limit to which
it may be stretched The mean of a doctrine is
the common sense, ordinary view of it. 1t is
the view taken by level-headed, self-contained
men-not enthusiasts.
Now when man embraces any certain doc
trine it is his duty to consider not only the cold
mean of it, but the hot extreme.
He must think to what limit it may be carried
by oversanguine men. gun capable of a
mean and unexpected discharge, should not be
shouldered; neither should such a doctrine be
shouldered. l would not accept creed whose
extreme permitted the organization of a saliva
ton army nor could lead myself with a doc
trine whose extreme sanctioned either American
dissolution or Irish dynamite
The doctrine of the Republican party is
congressional supremacy. 1t teaches that the
nation is paramount to the State. This doctrine
tends towards close union. 1t solidifes. 1t
consolidates the States. Its extreme is a consol-
idated republic. Enthusiasts might stretch the
doctrine until it obliterated the States, which
now are united into what is termed a federal
republic, and merge them into one vast stateless
nation, like France, called consolidated re-
public. Some enemies of the Republican doc
trine say that its extreme is monarchy, but that
is untrue because the rankest hotheads could
not so far stretch its tenets. Its limits is con-
solidated republic.
The doctrine of the Democratic party is dmin-
ution of congressional power and increase of
State power 1t teaches that power must be
taken from the nation and given to the State. 1t
says that the State is sovereign. This doctrine
tends to elevate the State above the nation. Its
extreme is thirty eight separate Independent
States. But the States cannot be separated with
out disunion, and therefore the extreme of Dem
ocratic doctrine is disunion So the late war
was only doctrine followed to the extreme of
its teaching | contend that the unpleasantness
was not caused by slavery but by a party doc
trine carried to its extreme by prejudicial enthu-
siasts And that any other cause than slavery
would if it made hotheads enough have brought
about the war.
Observe that I do not say that the
Democratic doctrine teaches disunion.
would lead to that. Now all calm men, Who are
the mass of party, believe its doctrine 10 the
mean only. They are honest men. You must
remember that men of the Democratic party are
just as good as men of the Republican party.
Your Democratic neighbor is just as good as you
are. Respect your neighbor, but dislike his doe
| trine. Be at peace with him, but at war with
his political creed, because of its bad extreme.
do not say it will ever be carried to its extreme.
but do not know that it will not be- 1t has
been once, as the events of twenty years ago re-
mind me. am speaking of possibilities, not
| probabilities. If asked you to choose a party
| with which to vote for one or two elections,
would say that you might disregard the ques-
ton discussed in this letter But | am trying to
give you reason for lifelong choice. and must
ask you to weigh this thing, for party's views
may be liable to extreme construction during
| your generation.
| l therefore ask you to choose between two
| evils-and to choose the least. The extreme of
either party views is undesirable But whereas
| Democratic limit is dangerous, Republican limit
! is only disagreeable, for would still have a
republic. Choose! r. NJ VAN HORNE.
| CoNNERsvIII4E, Ind.