The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-03-14
WHAT 1T is TO BE A DEMOCRAT.
First-Rate Description Of What COnStI.
tuteS the Genuine Article.

"a Subscriber" put the question
TO the Memphis Commercial, "What
is it to be Democrat 2" and that
paper replied as follows:
SIT is, as we understand it, 10
avow those principles now funda-
mental with the Democratic party,
and which find fresh enumeration
by every National Convention, 10
defend them on every available
occasion and press them in logical
and reasonable way for the accept
ance of the public generally. To
be a Democrat is 10 be for fair
and liberal construction of The De-
claralion of Independence, 10 be
strict constructionist when the
rights of the States and Federal
Constitution are supposed to be in
conflict; TO be for reform Of the
tariff to the point Of revenue only;,
to be opposed TO all forms of pro-
lection; to be opposed TO all forms
of subsidy; to be opposed to all
raids on the public treasury; TO be
opposed 10 all forms of combine,
monopoly and trusts; TO be OPP
posed TO everything and anything
for which no Justification can be
found in the Federal or State Con
stitulions, or the laws made III pur-
suance of them, that have stood
the test of lime and of the Federal
or State Supreme Courts. 1t is
not Democracy To cheat, or lie, or
steal, to bludgeon ones way at the
polls. or murder an opponent. 1t
is not Democracy to stuff ballot
box al IA primary or State, Federal
or municipal election; it is not
Democracy 10 invite the suprema-
cy of the criminal class, or those
who are on the ragged edge TO help
in managing campaign or win
nng an election is is not Demo
crlcy TO knowingly disobey and
violate the law; it is not DemOcra-
cy to break down the integrity of
the party by prelerring men 10
measures, by preferring partlsans
To principles II is not Democracy
TO attempt 10 control and direct
The influence of the party TO ac-
complish the plunder Of the people,
or make Of public Offices a means
to the end of strengthening cliques,
rings or combinations; it is not
Democracy to deny to political
opponent the righttul exercise of
the right of citizenship, or TO de-
clare that a man, being Republ-
can, has no rights that a Democrat
is bound to respect. And it does
not help or streng hen such an as
sumption 10 say that the Republi-
cans are doing wrong wherever
they are in the majority or have
The power, as in the recent instan-
ces furnish by Speaker Reed. One
wrong does not justify another,
The Commercial believes in and
suslains lhe Democratic party be-
cause ii believes that the State and
National Governments can be best
administered through such liberal
Interpretation of the laws as its
principles permit of, and not be-
cATse particular men hold office or
put themselves forward for office.
For this reason it is opposed 10 the
professional poliiican-to the men
who make or comprise the machine.
The machine is doing mischievous
in politics, 1t regards the masses
as merely means TO an end, and
smolhers principle with greed for
office. The machine is the curse
of American politics everywhere,
because it perverts principles and
to its purposes, and
leads to corruption"