Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-06
POLITICAL PARTIES.
To theEditor OF the EAGLE:

ton of men can be intelligently studied
without taking in consideration the gen.
erations that have gone before, and care
fully looking over their history and gen
eral characteristics. So it is with politi-
cal parties and the governments OF ma
tons. In looking over our American
form of republican government we hnd
that the principles and policies contained
in our finely balanced state constitutions
and national constitution had their
actual birth and beginning far back OF
the organization of our government and
the adoption of our present constltu-
ton. On the historic page we find that
in the year 1918 the barons and
prelates of England, firing of the arbi-
trary and vascillating measures OF King
John, invaded London and compelled
the king to concede to the adoption OF
that comprehensive bill of rights known
in history as the great Magma Charta,
the glory of England, and we today en-
Joy the flower and fruit of those gov
ernmental principles and policies of hui
man rights and liberties, conceived and
penned hundreds of years ago. Not
that we wish to be understood that there
has been no improvement on the OLD III
the formation of the new, for the utility,
the grandeur and the glory of our gov
eminent today is unparalleled II the his
tory Of nations.
Among the many new features intro
duced into our present system OF
government at the time of the adoption
of the constitution of the United States
was what is known as Capitalization
of government, or Capitalization OF power,
endorsed and upheld by the Republican
party in contra-distinction to feeble ar
ticles of the confederation of states, or
state sovereignty, as advocated by the
Democratic party in former years. We
notice that the Democratic party has
changed its principles in that regard
this year, for by referring to their plat
form adopted at ST. Louis we find these
words: ''Chief among its principles OF
party faith are the maintenance of an
indissoluble union of free and indestruc-
table states" At last we have wrung
those immortal words and principles
from the Democratic party; words that
have been taught, voiced and penned by
the Republican party for nearly thirty
wears, and set forth in the constitution
of the United States for an even one
hundred years, and only the historian
and those who were on the ground
know the millions of money and
thousands OF human lives it cost to teach
the Democratic party that Iesson-the
union of free, indiSsoluble and hides
tenctable states.
The Republican party-and we do not
hesitate to again call it the grand old
party is and was the
concentration of the conscience
of the north; still as we have already re-
marked, the primary and main princi-
pies of the Republican party had their
beginning far back of its actual or
ganization. Its fundamental principle
of protection to domestic industries and
the American home was one of the first
policies adopted at the organization of
our government. In fact the second
legislative act that George Washington
signed was measure establishing pro-
tectiye tariff. It's pressing need was
such that it was formulated a month be-
fore his Inauguration that it might be
ready for his signature immediately after
he took his seat, and that principle of
protection has been struggling for SUI
premacy from that day to this
Also the Republican partys principle
of a Capitalization of government had It's
beginning at the very foundation of our
government. In 1887 the two political
parties then in existence, the Federalists
and aEti-Federalists, concluded to change
the principles of government in this
country The anti-Federalists held that
a strong, centralized government would
be dangerous, as it would give single
administrative and executive head too
much power and would ultimately lead
to the establishment of a mOnarchlal
government in this country: while upon
the other hand the FederalistS' party
claimed that the confederation of states
held together simply by feeble articles of
confederation would have no stability,
and would be liable to Reorganization
and disruption at any time. and the belief
of the Federalists in the wisdom OF a strong
centralized government was abundantly
proven and indicated, in 1S6l-2-3-4
and when a disruption of this union
was attempted, and it was that selfsame
strong centralized governmental sword
of power, in the hands of the immortal
Abraham Lincoln, that preserved our
union and saved our country.
In the year 1877 a congress was called
I and held for the purpose OF adopting one
OF the systems OF government which we
have named and after a four month S
session, all of the thirteen states, then
existing, at that time, or shortly after
ward. adopted our present constitution,
which embodles the principles of a CEN
tralization government, and upon those
PRINCIPLES and that constitution
George Washington was elected
the first president of the United
states, and the same Identical principles
of Capitalization of government, that
| elected George Washington to the presi-
/ Dental chair of the United States in 11SS
also elected Abraham Lincoln, the savior
! of his country: the invlncible Grant, and
! the immortal Garfield to the presidency
! IN 1S60-'6S and 80.
| Those men are our ancestors, the an
cestors of the Republican party, and we
are proud Of them today. proud OF their
/ history and the history and the wonder
| full deeds of the Republican party that
! has done so much for America and
Americans.
! The Democracy, the Prohibitionists,
the Union and United Labor parties and
! all the other side shows, cry out. what
has the Republican party done for labor
and the country:
Our answer is that the Republican par
ty has always been the party of progress
the party of education, Of human rights
and liberty. While the Democratic par
ty was engaged in tearing down, the Re
publican party was engaged IN elevatlng
and maintaining the rights of the OPP,
pressed. in building up business. manu-.
featuring and commercial interests and
industries of the country, until this ma
ton of ours is the grandest government