The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-05-31
G0ODADVIOE TO YOUNG DEMOCRATS

duuDADVlUE 10 YOUNG DEMOCRATS
The jefferson City Tribune prints
The following extract from letter
written by Jefferson City grmflrmau
to his son wbo has Just attained his
mnIorlty. The letter should be read bv
every young man III the state and lis
advice rcliGipuslv followed
1.-The approaching election in this
Naic reminds me that next November
You will have the privilege, as il will
also be your patriotic duty, to cX-
"rcisc fOr the first time the right of
franchise, and. in the exercise 81 my
departing parental authority, will
essay a little advice concerning this
very important matter
~ assume that Won are a democrat.
l"ur education, training and social al
iilatiOHs would naturally incline YOU To
the democratic ililn; but over and
above such Influences, take il thai
your intelligent investigation of party
| principles could nuG have failed to make
Il democrat OF you even il you had not
the tutclagc you have been favored
with.
| "DcmoclaGy mcans government OF
the people and by The people. Ii is cs>
scntiaiIy opposed TO paternalism III all
OF It's forms. II is opposed TO the con-
ccHtraiIOn OF great powers III the hands
OF either government or individuals.
"Therc should bc as little law and
government as are consistent with the
common good AID the public welfare.
Democracy Is opposed To classes, class
legislation, spcciai privileges, monoEo
lies and Inc CcutrIlIHatiOm ui powers or
benefits. II is, Ia Il word, the most
| catholic lurin OF government ever con
ceIVed DS patriotic staic,mi nship.
'itepubicansu Is the autipOdes OF
this, W hatCVcr may be its professions to
the contrary. 1t would take away from
the people The power to act tor them
selves, and would hiusc into our polit-
ical system antOcraCy and special
privileges, destroy the rights of states,
abasc the citizen by making him an
OBJECT Oi government rather than part
OF II, and impose upon the body polite
code OF morals devised by the pas
siOnS and fanatiCiSm of the hour,
instead Of that perfect liberty taught
and praciiccd by pure democracy.
''Bnt IL Is unnecessary TO further de-
fine the differences between democracy
and modern repubiicaniSm. Thcy are
fundamental, aud no man OF even
average intelligence can fail 10 under
stand them. When any man tells yon
that there is bnt little or no difference
between the two great parties OF the
day, that man has not sufficient intelli.
gcncc To talk 10 you OH political sub
jCCis
Now as 10 what | would advise you:
The conventions OF your party are its
Grand assiZe. There all personal differ
encCs are settled as in court of last
resort. In the primaries of your party
is the place TO exercise your personal
choicc-tO fight for your mUR. The
aggregate wisdom of the convention
dominates personal opinion and prefer.
encc, ana when its cdicts are published
the individual is lost sight of and the
party becomes paramount. Therefore
| say, always support the nominees of
your party. Under no circumstances
bolt, sulk or fail TO vote. IN politics
an independent is Il pirate; II bolter is
u traitor.
"SOmetimes the exigencies of cir
cumstanCes will determine your party
to make no nominations and put no
ticket in the field. In such case only
can you be absOlved from the citizens
duty of voting. Under all other cir
cumstanCCs the democrat must vote.
''SOmctimcs 10 candidates are nomi
mated Tor county, township or munich
pal Offices. This implies the irerdohl
of the individual in the election to ex-
crCise his discretion without reproach.
But | would advise in such cases that
You examine yonr ballot to IFS minulcst
details, and carefully erase the names
of every republican lhercfrOm, whether |
lie be Il candidate Tor constable, road |
Ovcrscer, school director or alderman,
whether he have democratic opposi ion |
or not. Let your ballot be so imiuacu-
late III its democratic purity that you
can, i'll truth, say that you have never |
voted for any body but democrat.
alt is OF little consequence whether |
a man wore the grey or the blue during |
the late war His democracy is not 10 |
be predicatcd upon the character of the |
flag he luught for twenty six or TWEEN |
ty seven years ago. That he is a dem |
Ocrat HOhU is what should concern YOU, !
and who Is democrat your party in |
convention assembled determines and |
you should not question its decisions, |
for parties mean ideas. You vote ior |
your ideas, your theory and preference |
OF government. You do not vote lor |
the man. That would be dcmagogy and |
juggling with principle. No man can |
he better than, and no individual as |
good rs his party.
"Finally, never vote for a republican
for any Office, tor by so doing you en-
courage repubIicanism--a theory OF |
government essentially wrong in itself, |
because, il you put it into undisputed |
practice, liberty would eventually he
"verthrown Democracy, pure and un-
detilcd, is the only rock upon which 10
build n castle "i political strength that
will deity anarchy and maintain the |
perfect freedom of the citizen.
81 hope this advice will he consider
ed 10y you in The casting of your first |
vote, for ! am convinced that the OK.
pcricmcc of aCcunulating years will |
confirm il rs the wisest and most patri- |
oiic could have offered you