The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-23
THE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLE.

The fundamental principle of Democ-
racy is to be found in that clause OF
the Declaration of Independence which
says: I'VE hold these truths to be
self-evident; that ali men are created
equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable
rights; that among these are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness;
! that to secure these rights, govern
ments are instituted among men, de-
irving their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed
| This is an enunciation of the doc
trine of popular government. A De
mocracy is a government of the peo-
pie, by themselves. Represented by
1 officers of their own choice; all persons
who have reached their majority hav-
ing an exactly equal voice in the estab-
! lishment of that government, and be-
/ ing entitled to the same protection and
! the same rights and privileges. In
such a government there are no class
distinctions. There must be no class
/ legislation. In the words of the
/ founder Of the Democratic party, who
wrote that immortal document from
which we have quoted, there must be
equal and exact justice to all; special
privileges to none.''
1t is often argued by opponents CT
genuine Democratic doctrine that there
is no such thing as equality. That all
men are not created equal; that there
are inequalities at birth, of station, of
surroundings, of physical structure and
of mental powers. Therefore, they say,
the statement in the Declaration Of
Independence is untrue
But in such reasoning the error lies
in the false conception of the meaning
of the phrase objected TO. The equality
, therein declared relates to citizenship,
its rights, privileges and immunities.
1t means that all are born equal be-
fore the law; that every person has
equal rights with all others to life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It
establishes the liberty of the indi-
vidual
In one sense of the term there is no
such thing as equality; in another
sense, the sense conveyed in the Decla-
ration of independence, it does exist
and must be maintained at any cost
The idea that any class of persons is
born with higher claims to the rights
specified than another class, leads to
aristocratic and monarchial govern
ments and institutions. From them
the fathers of our country turned
away They fought and bled for the
establishment of Democracy; equal
rights before the law; a government
in which all the people should par
ticipate and in which special privileges
to any individual or class should be
unknown.
It IS Of the highest Importance that
this handspring of popular govern
ment should be preserved in all its
original force. Anything that tends to
weaken it should be opposed. All the
power intended to be bestowed upon
the government of the United States
is expressed in the national constitu-
ton. That which is not therein con-
ferred is retained by the states respec-
lively or by the people. That is so
expressed. in terms, in the tenth
amendment to the constitution, also
written by the great father of the
Democratic party.
The other political organizations
which have arisen since the founda-
ton of our government was laid, have
each in their turn, while opposing the
Democratic party, endeavored to cen
tralize power in the general govern
ment over and above that which is
expressly conferred upon it in the ma
tional constitution. They have each in
their turn persisted and passed away.
Their successor, the Republican party, |
is imbued with the same spirit and has
in view the same purpose. 1t has had
its mission to perform, perhaps, and
having accomplished it there is every !
reason to believe that it will in its |
turn being a party of expedients, also |
pass away and disappear.
But the Democratic party, being the |
party of the Constitution and of the
people, maintaining equal rights and
privileges to all citizens and preserv-
ing the balance of power between the |
federal government and the respective
states, will continue while the nation
endures and should command the SUD-
port and fidelity of the men and wo-
men of Utah who have so manv
for upholding intact the prin-
ciples Of the Constitution and of the
Declaration of Independence.