Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-11-01

w ESI VIRGINIA.
An article that Young Men Should Read
With which party should young
man, who takes his politics not by in
heritance or by dictation from others
but by his own intelligent and indie.
pendent judgment identify himself
Where will he find sentiments and poll
cies that are worthy of his adoption and
ardent support? Surely not in the Re-
publican party. That is to-day the
party of reaction, while he belongs to
the future. Its leaders are generally
men past the prime of life, who natural.
ly believe in perpetuating the conditions
uhder which they won leadership and
their party reached power. Their states
manship consists accordingly in efforts
to maintain war passions as lasting
sentiment, and war taxes as n perma-
ncnt policy. The young voter can ind
neither glory for himself nor benefit for
his country by supporting them in either
effort
The great sectional issues, slowly
ripening from the foundation of our
Government, were fought out by tho
men of IA quarter of century ago.
Every question submitted to the arbit-
rament of war has been settled so in
disputably that search warrant could
hardly find, in all the land, a corporal's
guard who do not understand and fully
acquiesce in that settlement. The ex-
ceptions. if any such there be, are found
among the old and the combatant
The generation on whom the storm burst
met its fury as constant and brave men
Honor and abiding glory are with the
men who fought real battles and made
real sacrifices. But for those doughty
warriors who defy foes that no longer
exist, who delight to insult tho vanuuishel
and to re-openi wounds that time has
healed, and who Gil the arena with their
vaporings and imprecations, there should
be only contempt to-day as there will be
only scorn and derision in tho future.
History is always on tho side of the
ihuBHhHiulous' ilcI IuuTclb are tuVl6u-
ly bestowed on those who are sturdiest
in tho fight and most generous in the
victory, but she will waive into deserved
oblivion and disgrace the whole host of
tonguc-valiant, post-bellum heroes, who
still vex our cars with their sectional
cries.
But if there are no titles or brovets
in the army of the bloody shirt, when q
self-respccting young man should aspire
or consent to wear, are the general poll
cics of the Republican party worthy Of
support There, too, he finds reaction.
These policies may be summed up in
one word, Capitalization. Centraliza-
ton of political power in the Federal
Government. Capitalization Of wealth
in favored classes. 1t is difficult to say
which portcnds more evil to free insti-
tutlons, which is the surcst corrosive Of
individual manhood and individual free
dom.
The history Of the growth of free in
stitutions is u history Of the develop
ment of local enlargement.
That is their vitalizing principle -
Under no theory or practice do we reach
the goal Of government by the people.
that government that belongs 10 the
people, not the government TO which the
people belong That government that
deals with citizen at long range be-
comes his master no matter what its
name be, or how its machinery may
work That government which he can
hold Immediately under his eye, on
which he can constantly keep his hand
that is his servant.
Our constitution, growing out Of the
voluntary union of independent States,
made it possible to combine the two
sovereignties-State sovereignty for To-
cal afairs-fcderal sovereignty for fed :
eral affairs-a combination that has been
weightily pronounced the highest reach
Of constructive craftsmanship. The
party that overrides the autonomy Of
the States, that seeks to have the gener-
al government interfere with and as
sumo to control matters which the States
should and ought exclusively to deal
with, wars against the fundamental prin-
ciples of our institutions, the law Of
their life and of their healthy expansion
Yet such is the steady. unrelaxing grav-
itation of the Republican party, and to.
day we find it not only, as ever, striving
to gather all political power to the fed
eral government, but even to bestow up.
on it that "worldly omnipotence that i;
annexed to the power Of dealing out
wealth and poverty"
its chief existence, as avowed by it
! self, is to maintain a system Of taxation