Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-23
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?


and romance, actustes the reformer, teache
freedom of religion. thought and industry
and promotes science, invention and enter
prise. In church and state il makes peer o
the scion, of the millionaire and the son o.
toll. The prince ard the beggar are eacl
links in the hahn OF human brotherhood
and equals before the throne of the AL
mighty. Democracy recognizes the individ
ual and fortifies his interests by the ram
parts of law. Social order is essential to
equal rights, and property is essential to
social order. Democracy therefore enforcei
social order by equal protection TO person
and property"
Such is the definition OF Democracy
given by General Durbin Ward at Xenia,
o., September Il, 1885. The entire
speech is replete with eloquence, truth
and political philosophy, and as We read
it o'er we feel that for US TO make any
comments or to undertake any eyplana.
ton OF the speech and its theme, is to at
tempt that to which we are not equal.
The speech was delivered in response
to Senator Sherman's speech opening the
Ohio campaign for the Republican party,
speech that marks John Sherman as
one whose usefulness is long since gone.
1t is said that the good which men do is
often inferred with them, but in the case
OF John Sherman it may be said that the
good that he has done was inferred long
years before he himself departed this life
How beautiful is the tribute to the
Democracy that General Ward pays.
Democracy is the instinct of humanity" )"
Yes, that is Democracy. 1t is the recog-
milton of the grand fact that in this world
man with his wants and his longings, his
hopes and his aspirations, are the great
things to be considered, and the truth
that governments are instituted for the
realization and protection of these sacred
things. Democracy has to do with the
dealings Of man with man. 1t guaran-
tees to each man all rights not
infringing upon another mans
rights. 1t teaches the doctrine that gov
ernmants are instituted for the benefit of
man; that man is first anl government
second. 1t teaches that no form OF gov
ernment is so good guaranty
OF liberty and freedom as the common
sense OF man; and that representative
government is but recognized and ac-
cepted expression of this common sense.
Democracy recognizes man as the creator
in politics, and governments and kindred
inst tutions as but his creatures, and on
this theory it declares that the creature
can never be superior to the creator.
Were it otherwise, the lesser would be
the greater, the inferior the superior; and
such In nature cannot be.
General Ward defined the relation of
the States to the Union in these terms:
"In this Union there are constitutionally
no sections there are only States Each
State has equal right over its local affairs,
and equal 'indestructibility' in the Union
of the Constitution. Every act whether of
the nation or q State which inrades the
power of this 'indissoluble' Union, or the
right of local government of these 'inde-
structible' States, is equally revolution and
treason to the spirit of the Constitutin which
ordains their coordinate existence, and de-
fines treason against them in the following
pregnant words: Treason against the
OIlUcU ObdbeS Sudll CUuSlSp Only IN lSVVlQp
war againsr them, or in adhering to their
enemies, giving them aid and comfort
The nation has no more right to make war,
direct or indirect, upon the organic existence
or institutions of State, than State has
TO secede from the Union, or 10 make war,
direct or indirect, upon the supremacy or in
stitutions of the nation
And that definition is correct, but for
many years past that definition has been
ignored by the Republican patty, and the
course of that party towards the States has
been to treat them as sovereign or subject
as best suited its immediate interest.
1t was one OF Senator Sherman's chief
hopes TO again raise up the political di-
vision by sections, but it failed, failed
signally and covered him with shame
and ignominy He talked and acted as
though he were campaigning in the days
OF Davis and Toombs, and he is no
further advanced than they.
General Ward paid high compliment
10 President Cleveland when he said:
Conscious as 1 am that Cleveland's ad- |
mlnlstrat1on will close forever the gulf be- !
tween the sections, and psretuate forever
the States and the Onion, feel that the
struggles OF the Democracy for q genera
tion are crowned with success. We can now
congratulate ourselves that the Union of
our fathers, resting on the constitutional
pillars of State AUTONOMY Is restored and
cemented not by the blood of civil war; but
by the political equality and fraternity of
all sections and races
Under Cleveland and the Democratic
aoyfx, he TT,,o l..
proper place, and while the General Gov
ernment will be supreme in national af-
fairs and those things over which the Con-
stitution gives it control, still the rights of
the States will be respected and preserved.
The one danger OF the Union since the
close OF the war has been to centraliza-
ton OF the power in the General Govern
ment, and with such 4 Capitalization
there is ever the danger OF usurpation
Of the rights OF the individual and the
enforcement OF such usurpation by the
police or military power OF the govern
ment. Following in the wake of
Capitalization there come standing
armies and stringent laws To protect
the citizens? No, to protect the
centralized power. Capitalization is
doubt as to the capacity and integrity
OF the people 10 govern themselves and
control their own affairs made supreme,
and backed by law and arms. Such has ,
been the tendency OF Republicanism for 1
twenty-five years, and during every one ,
OF those years the country has been in ;
danger of the evils consequent on CEN {
tralization., Democracy is the reverse of s
all this, and whoever deems an insti- S
tuition, whether civil or religious, superior Z