Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-07-23
1t is Confusion.

Through the medium of an anOny-
nous and probably fictitious congress
man the Washington Star makes a
malicious attack on Secretary Bayard.
Representing that this presumed Dem
ocratic congressman was fresh from an
interview with the Democratic secre-
tary, i: makes him retail it thus:
"'But, Mr.. Secretary I pursued,
'let me tell you that the Democratic
masses-the men who do the voting
and give their time to secure party
success-will say that if Republicans
only are fit for office; that if Demo-
cratic administration can't find Demo-
Gratis to fill the places, they will quit
work; and they will do it. too.' To
this Secretary Bayard replied: Then
popular government is a failure. If a
party is to administer government on
ly to put its followers in office, popular
government is faiiure.'"
Mr.. Bayard is genuine and consist
ent Democrat. After a lifetime of de-
votion to Democratic principles it is
impossible that he could have made
use of such expressions as are here at
tributed to him.
The sole and only reason that Dem
Ocrat is more worthy of public conf
dence than a Republican is that Dem
ocratic principles are more worthy of
public confidence than Republican
principles. This is rule which works
both ways. 1t secures that eternal
vigilance, that unceasing opposition
through which alone popular gov
ernment can be maintained. lnvOlv-
ed in it is the great law of attraction
and repulsion which pervades all
nature. There must be centrifugal
and centripetal force opposing each
other, or there is confusion.
Under our popular system Of govern
ernment Democrats who hold to their
principles for the sake of principle be-
lieve that, other things being equal,
Democrats are more fit for places of
public trust than Republicans. If they
do not SO believe they must admit that
there is no question of principle at
stake, but simply question OF the
offices as rewards-as spOils to he ac.
quired, whether through party tri-
umph and superior numbers, or through
some other process, such as the sue
cessful answering of questions pro-
pounded by an examiner.
That this view should be held by all
conscientious men of deep political con-
victions on the one side and the other
is the best and the only sure safeguard
of popular government. Through it
alone can be maintained that constant
struggle between opposing forces which
must go on if an equilibrium is to be
maintained and we are to remain a free
people.
This is government of opposing
forces, producing harmony through
the check one puts upon another. The
presidency is to check the legislative
power; the legislative power the presi-
dency; the judiciary to check them
both, and the constitution is to remain
as a check upon all. Could it be possi-
BILE to beat down party lines, to wipe
out all opposition from a powerful
minority, there would exist no such
thing as individual liberty.
When men of Democratic principles
see those principles Endorsed at pop
ular election they expect to see them
prevail in the administration of the
public trusts-not as a matter of re-
ward or of spoils, if they are conscien-
tious men, but from that high convic-
ton which makes them Democrats.
They dread as a calamity any step
which tends to break down party lines
or to obscure even temporarily the diff
ference between opposing principles.
Secretary Bayard is a man who
thinks deeply; who goes below any
shallow reasoning which would OBJ
scure this vital question in the attempt
to save something for Republicanism
from the wreck by asserting that DEM
ocrats want the offices only as spoils.
A mind like his goes directly to the
great question at the root of this whole
matter.