Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-05-01
SELECTIONS.
THE OLD WING DOCTRINE.

The Vindicat0r of last week pub
lished an interesting and entertain.
ing interview with Hon. A. Fl.
Staurt, of this place. Mr.. Staurt
representated the Congressional dis
trict of which Augusta was then a
part in 1841-42 the last representa-
tive in Congress that Augusta has
had. 1t was to ascertain the politi
ical condition Of that period and the
influences which operated in send
ing to Congress Wing from a dis
tricU which had almost invariably
elected a Democratic on full vote
that the interview was sought. In
defining the creed of the Wing party
at that date, Mr.. Stuart says
F." The canvass was conducted on a
plane of high courtesy and at its
close we were even better friends
than at the beginning" (Gov
James Mcdowell was the Democrat
ic candidate.) "The public ques
lions of 1871 which divided parties,
may be stated by saying that the
Democrats insisted on State banks,
a tariff for revenue only, and OPP
posed internal improvements by the
general government, and the dis
tribution of the public lands under
Mr.. Clay's bill; while the Wings
favored United States Bank, a
protective tariff, a liberal system OF
internal Improvements by the gov,
eminent, and the distribution Of the
public lands for educational pur,
poses"
This formulation OF the issues of
that day expresses the differences
which exist between the Democrats
Of this day and the Republicans
The Democratic party is the same
old party it was fifty years ago. 1t
is true that it has been driven to ac
cept the Wing doctrine of 1941 as
in the Republican creed
of National Banks, (the security fol-
the issue of which is the bonds of
the government protective tariff,
internal improvement by the gov
eminent and the donation of the
public lands for educational purpos.
es, as embraced in the land grants
to many OF the States. But it is
acquiescence. If the De-
mocracy had the power the old
State bank system would he revived,
and a tariff for revenue only would
be the policy of the government.
That it is merely acquiescent is sus-
tanned by the opposition that party
has, until very recently, manifested
to the present unequalled banking
system; to the Blair Educational
Bill and in its support of the Morri-
sou tariff bill. On all these cardi.
nal questions the two parties of the
present day maintain substantially
the same relations they did at the
time to which Mr.. Stuart refers.
The singular fact is presented, how
ever, of old Wings, like Mr.. Stuart,
who advocated the American Sys-
tenn of Mr.. Clay, rejecting almost
identically the views of the Repub-
lican party of this time, voting for
and giving their moral support to
the Democratic party. Emphasis is
given to this surprise in the fact that
the doctrines OF the old Wing party,
then a mere theory, without the
power in the party to test them
practically, have been enforced by
the Republicans and all the bene.
fcent results predicted of them by
the old Wings, fully realized while
the States Rights notions of the
Democrats wrought out all the dire
consequences that the old Wings
foretold of them. Had the Demo
cratic theory been practically sus
tanned, the Union would not be in
existence now, our industrial wealth
and activity would never have been
known our homestead laws would
not have been enacted; the appli
cation of the public lands and the
proceeds of their sale to educational
purposes and internal improvements
would never have become a part o.
the policy of the government. Il
impresses itself as remarkably sin
gular that when the fruitions of thu
old Wing doctrine are being 81
abundantly realized, when every
thing foretold of them has been yer
fled and the wisdom of the Amer
lean System has been fully vindica
ted, that old Wings should disowI
all these results and surrender theil
convictions in the support of tn,