The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-06-03


every effort possible for advance
ment, as it will not rebound to the
credit of our city abroad" and adds,
ssbut such, we suppose, is 'Jefter-
sonian Democracy
The last phrase is, evidently,
hit at The Gazette, because it made
the statement, some time since, that
it was not in keeping with the prin-
ciples of Jefersonian and Jackson
ian Democracy for Democrats to
appoint Republicans to Office.
These were the views expressed
by The Gazette, at the time, and it
still holds to that opinion, and is
supported by the political history
of this country. The tendency to-
wards party and party administra-
tration of the government, was one
of the early features in the political
history of our republic. At the be-
ginning of his administration Mr..
Jefferson transferred the Offices of
the government to members of the
Democrat party. This policy had,
in some measure, been adopted by
his predecessor, but the principle
was then made uuiDersa/.
When Andrew Jackson became
President, in that particular, he
went further than his illustrious pre-
decessor, having even been credited
with the famous phrase ''To the
victor belongs the spoils." Although
we do not here state as an historical
fact, that the phrase was originally
enunciated by him, but it was
certainly adopted and put in full
force and effect in his administra-
ton of the government.
Therefore, if Jefferson the foun-
der of the Democratic party, and
Andrew Jackson, its great apostle,
have laid it down as a party princi-
pie that the Democratic party
should give the offices to Demo
Gratis, we can not surmise how the
Advertiser can iaSinu ute that
Democrats should give the Of
fees to Republicans. In the views
expressed by US on this subject, we
are borne out by the political
history of this country, and we pro-
pose to adhere to them, notwith-
standing the evident contrary opin-
ion of the talented editor of the Adj
vertiser.
These views we expressed, and
nothing else, but the Advertiser trav-
els out of the way, and says, in sub
stance, that because the candidates
have filed a contest, this it '*sMb-
bosea'' is tJefersonian Democracy.
With the filing of that contest we
have no more to do than that paper,
but tn at it will tend to the discredit
of the town abroad we do not SO
think, especially as the Advertiser
notes in the same article, that the
new council decided to go ahead
with their business as if no ''trial
was to take place."
We never before heard that citi-
zens who resorted to the courts, for
a redress of their grievances, as
guaranteed them by the laws of their
country, were an impeachment to the
progress of a community, as we
always thought that they were class
ed as law-abiding citizens, who are
generally considered the pillars of
our government but this, we pre-
sumo, is an other presumption on
Jeffersonian Democracy, to which,
however, we lay no claim.
The gentlemen who filed the con-
test believe that they have been
wronged in their rights. We be-
lieve that they would have been re-
creapt to their constituents and
themselves, had they not applied to
the court is for the protection of their
rights. They are individually re-
sponsible for the result of the trial
and as American citizens have the
perfect privilege of submitting their
rights to jury of their Countrymen.
1t is The Gazette's deliberate
opinion that those who have rights
should dare maintain them; and
we are convinced that the credit
Of our city will not suffer
abroad, because some of her citi-
Gems have peacefully resOrted to the