The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-25
DEnotK RAY.

The Times has received the following
letter:
Editor Of The Times: Allow one of your
subscribers and an humble MEMBER OF tne
Democratic party TO ask a queSlIon-lS
not the doctrine of states Rights the
Fundamental principle of the Democratic
party? is IL not the elemental principle
the sine qua non-of the Democratic
party?
The question Is suggested by the fire.
auent reference in The Times defence of
IT'S true Democracy TO equality as the
distinguishing principle OF the party;
This may be true as to the eauallty OF
all before the law. The Democrats have
always held 1t, but the Republican and
every other party has had the same
plank in its platforms. II is true also as
. TO the tariff. and at this point 1t can
hardly be disputed that opposition TO pro-
lection is a historic principle OF the Demo-
cratic party. Still that is not to say that
1T is the distinguishing principle of the
party. AS your humble correspondent I'M
derstands the history of parties in our
country from the beginning the alignment
has always been on the question of
States Rights, one party advocating
the doctrine of States rights, the other a
strong. centralized, paternal, Federal
Government.
Another question suggests itself on
which a good many of us laymen in
views of authority like The Times.
II the doctrine Of States rights dn its
entirety, as held by the fathers. is aban-
doned as to the principle of the right of
secession. is It not ipso facto abandoned
entirely?
STATES RIGHTS DEMOCRAT.
We answer our correspondent thus
States Rights" is not the essentially
fundamental principle of the Democratic
party. The Democratic party. ever since
our Constitution was adopted, has in
- ~ bo1
be confined 10 the limits placed upon ii by
the Constitution. and that the States
shah have all their reserved rights sa-
crediy preserved TO them; but Democracy
IN its essential idea far antedates our
Constitution and the rights OF our States
The Democratic party's tenet of state
rights Is bnly one of the accessory propo-
sitions by which 1t hopes TO effectuate It's
main purpose. which is to secure TO all
men exactly the same footing before the
laws of the land. To understand this
matter correctly we must make 9 brief
historical review.
The word democracy is. as our cor
respondent very well knows. a compound
of the two Greek words. demos the
people. and kratos, the rule 1t means.
therefore. the rule of the people, and the
party's name suggests the party's aim.
1t Is not necessary In this survey TO take
into consideration the Greek and the
Roman idea OF Democracy. II is sufi-
cient for the purposes Of American Democ-
racy TO consider the events Of the world
since II has emerged from the darkness
OF the medieval ages.
The beginning OF the dawn OF the
worlds present state found Europe domi-
mated by feudal institutions. Under them
the law OF the land created classes with
rights and privileges belonging to each
class. IL commenced with the sovereign
and descended by grades 10 the villain
The lowest class had very few Of what
can be called rights. The next class above
had few more rights. the next class
above q few more than they and so on
10 the highest. When civilization had ad-
vanced to the state that 1t held in the
early part and middle OF the last century.
bold thinkers commenced to attack this
harsh and unnatural order of things
They announced as the true principle Of
all government that each individual had
as good a right TO all the benefits OF the
laws as any other individual could have.
ana tfley cdIleu, ana properly called, their
new propaganda Democracy. for IL rested
on the idea that all men were the equals
OF each other; that'privileges accorded by
the laws TO some should be abolished, and.
therefore. that the rule Of the land should
be Democracy. or the rule of the people
by the people.
This idea spread until it eliminated in
the prodigious upheaval of the French
Revolution. which was nothing but re-
belllon by those who were denied the
equal protection OF the laws against those
upon whom the laws conferred special
privileges. Our rebellion against the au-
thority Of Great Britain Just before was a
movement of the same nature. and. when
Il proved successful our ancestors pro-
ceeded 20 put Democratic principles into
control Of this land by the formation OF
a constitutional republic. the leading and
controlling idea of which should be the
recognition OF the rights Of man as man.
the central point Of which is the equality
Of I'll men before the law. without regard