The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-22

by means indirect, this GENERALIZATION OF
power in government, SO much lamented
by HERBERT SPENCER, and in his ludg-
ment portending so much evil to society.
We commend to the consideration Of those
in Utah now hesitating as to which politi-
cal party they shall join, the observations
Of this recognized thinker on social
science, and remember that his wisdom,
his learning, his character are such as to
give great weight to his deductions.
The Democratic party in this country
stands as the champion of the rights of the
Individual. 1t believes that mankind Will
be greater gamers by suffering ich other
to live as seems good to themselves-so long
as they impose not upon the rights OF
others-than by compelling each to live as
seems good to the rest The Democratic
party insists that there is limit to the
legitimate interference of collective opinion
with individual independence. 1t Is it's a in
to find that limit, and when found to
stoutly maintain it against encroachmeut,
believing that TO do so is Indispensable to
good condition of human affairs. 1t be-
ileyes that the sphere Of government Is
limited to the protection Of all individuals
within its jurisdicti on to an equal enjoy
ment of their rights-the right to be free,
the right to live, the right to possess what
is theirs in peace, the right to pursue hap
piness in their own way, being limited only
to their methods of pursuit and enjoyment
| to those lines which mark the bounds aries
of the rights and liberties of other
individuals or society. 1t is opposed to
what Mr.. SPENCER laments as the
great political immortality of the age
state usurpation of what should
be left TO the sphere of private
enterprise. 1t rejects the idea of the pa
ternalism of the state and is opposed to
anything like class legislation under any
pretext whatsoever. With ali men placed
on equal footing under the law, and each
protected in his natural rights, the Demo
cratic party then says to the individual:
90 now, and work out your own salvation.
Be as Con made you, able to stand, yet free
to fall. Take the consequences of your
own nature and conduct, neither saddling
the resulting evils on other people nor
being defrauded by other people of the re-
sultlng benefits. This is the law which
Mr.. SPENCER says should be insisted upon,
not only in the conduct of individuals to
one another, but also in the conduct of the
state towards individuals, and we believe
he is right.
These are fundamental doctrines of the
Democratic party. That party stands in
the pathway of the centralizing tendencies
in this country, marked in Mr.. SPENCER's
observations; and we have the faith to
believe that the resistance of the Demo
cratic party to those tendencies-Mr
SPENCER's prophecies to the contrary not
outstanding be successful. We say
in the name Of that love of independence sc
dear to the American heart, that men II
: this land, dedicated to liberty, snail not be
sunk to the level of a mere piece of ma
chinery, howsoever splendid the machine
may be. Such is the determination of The
Democratic party; and all who would
participate in the good work o.
preserving the liberty of the indi
vidual from the unwarranted encroach
ments Of organized authority; who would
see government both nat onal and stat'
limited to move only within those line
fixed by their respective constitutions-t
all who believe these doctrines the Demo
cratic party holds out friendly hand ant
says Come, join in the good work of avert
ing the catastrophes which the wise mel
of the earth say are threatening the peace o
society and the liberty Of mankind.