Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-09-16
For the SPECTATOR.
. United, We Stand; Divided. We Fall.
No. 3.

Government continues the problem OF the
ages. Since the Beginning" govern
ments have grown up and then fallen into
decay in all past times attesting the in
stability of the works of man and most
strikipgly the abortive attempts at perma-
nent Iree governments. We have the
chilly despotism of Russia and China which
have lasted for probably one thousand
years, brooding over an oppressed people
with no prospect of relief. 1t has always
appeared very strange that one despot
should be permitted to sway an arbitrary
sceptor over many millions of people when
than his match in equal combat. But the
solution largely consists in the fact that the
head of the government has his many
thousands CT personal adherents who are
living by, and becoming rich upon the
spoils of office; proud and arrogant 10 the
exercise of subordinate departmental
authority. This multitude of cormorapts
fatten and luxuriate on the earnings of the
masses; SO that the head of the government
is upheld and defended with ceaseless vigi-
lance BY thousands of retainoIs. The
founders OF tine American system, after
careful examination of the long and in-
structiye lessons of the past, founded our
representative governments upon the theory
that the people are the safest repositories
of the sovereign power of any government
State or Federal---that governments are
the creatures of the people and have moth
ing to dispense but what has been derived
from the people directly or indirectly. 1t
being inns rscticable for the people to exer-
else the powers of a government individu-
ally, resort is had to the representative
theory with periodical accountability to
the appointing power. The history Of the
world bad shown that there are two ex-
IRENE teEdencies-a pure democracy, an
unwieldy, infsmmable mobocracy, violence
and unressonipg excuses; the other to
GENERALIZATION, ignoring Of individual rights,
tyranny and unrestrained oppression.
The American system was well-ad-
justed distribution of functions and powers
to secure persons and property, liberty,
safety and the pursuit Of happiness. The
primal voice ard power in the government
was secured to those citizens who had at
tachment 20 and permanent interest in the
local government where he proposed to
exercise the elective franchise. Here was
grounded wise precaution in requiring a
permanent interest in, and attachment to the
of his vote. But the cOrrupting influence
politicians have swung away the elective
franchise to the radical extreme of univer-
sal suffrage to all but unpardoned convicts,
lunatics, and paupers. Now it is proposed
to involve the female sex in the general
melee by which the uninstructed colOred
women, the prostitutes from the brothels
will environ the polls, with only an COCA
sional modest woman who will summon
courage to approach the dirty purlieus of
promiscuous voting precinct.
The checks and balances in the American
system are as essential to its autonomy as
the right of suffrage. The system is a
well balanced, symmetrical whole, which
without all of it's parts becomes deficient
and tends to ruin. 1t is very complex
theory and can only be understood by care.
ful examination and study in the light and
sense of its founders. 1t is great mistake
to suppose that every fellow who is not an
felon or lulst.c, understands
this system of government sufficiently well
to demand radical changes in the policy of
the government which has engaged the
best minds of the country for many years.
Radical changes from the congratulated
policy and experience of the government
should be made with great caution after
thorough investigation.
The principles of the Democratic party
have been ignored and kept in allegiance for
Thirty years. The war power has so long
been dominant that the tendency has been
to drift off into strong national govern
meDt, upheld by the money-power of the
country represented in the great public
works which have grown out of the war
aud it's incidents. Soon after the war
feeble attempt was made at Washington to
establish a class of semi nobility confined to
certain high dignitaries Of the government,
but it was soon discovered that'a return to
the home constituency would preclude any
such pretension, SO tho exclusive aristo-
cratic pretensions was not enforced in
society; but only recently the son of the
President presumed to demand public YES
sells to serve his private family in the pre-
that he is the son of the Presi-
dent. This incident is only introduced to
show the tendency of the different policies.
The incroachment on private rights has
been exciting discomfort and uprisings
which bode no good to the peace and wei.
fare of the country. Those engaged in the
organized efforts to redress what they be-
lieve to be their grievances are led on and
excited ~ leaders who are probably not
best qualified to do justice to all, but are
sometimes dszed by the glittering prospects
of personal ambition. They charge that
the Democratic party has not given them
relief, forgetting that the party has not had
control of the entire government for thirty
years, but has been endeavoring manfully
to stay the hand of Federal aggression on
the rights of the people.
CITIZEN.