Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1895-01-26
THE MEANING OF DEMOCRACY.
Purposes and Principles Based Upon Ns-
tIonaI Welfare.


There were some years In the history
of the party when it earned the appel
lation Of bourbon and the definition Of
the word, one who never learns and
never forgets. 1t grew to be considered
the conservative party Of the union,
using the word in its sense of resis-
tance to every progressive movement.
1t was otficered by lot of eminently
respectable old fossils who could not
bear the strain on their nerves and in-
tellects that consideration Of any new
and better way Of doing things In
volved. They were the statesmen Of
the rut. They dominated the party be-
fore and for long after the war. Prin1
ciples were too vigorous and exacting
for them; they preferred the 'lean and
slippered pantaloon" of policy.
Judging from words spoken and
printed now, there are men who think
that they are democrats who assert
Mat the party can have nothing TO do
with any OF the new questions that are
coming on, as they have always come
on, and always will among progressive
races; but that the party must assume
position Of opposition and hostility 70
them. They prate about the tradition
al policy Of the party assuming that
its traditions bear no older date than
tho flfties. They are evidently ignor-
ant that the party In this country had
its birth in the first progressive move
ments that sought to break the crust
Of federalism. The founder Of the
party was the radical Of his day. He
stirred the country with new ideaa
He was born revolutionist, and many
of our most fixed policies are the chill.
dren of his revolutionary brain. The
divorce of churchaand state, the blow
at oligarchy which his abolition Of the
law of primogeniture struck are SONG
Of these. 1t was not until In recent
years the party shook of the lethargy
Of the conservatives and became pro-
gressive that 1t has come up out Of II
deserved subordination. 1t was when
the mossbacks were sent to the rear
that the party inspired the conhdence
that gained its recruits and gava II
victory.
There Is no room in any nation fer
two conservative parties to co-exist
The republican party lost years ago It's
initiative of progress. and has been
contented to merely administer the gov
ernment, meeting the exigencies as
they arose as best 1t could by temper
ary expedients. 1t had spasm Of
progress along its chosen lipe Of policy
in 1890, but the evidence is plentiful
that it regrets the advance 1t made,
and will retreat from 1t when again In
power. 1t will accept the tariff act Of
this congress; it will abjure force bills,
and it will dodge and hedge on the cur,
rency.
This leaves the democracy only the
avenue of meeting the new questions
Of the day frankly, bravely and with q
view to examine and test and approve
If they chord with the basic principles
of the party. To free trade, to the ma
tionalization Of railways, to the single-
tax, the sole question Is: Are they
democratic? Adapting Paul's counsel,
it would prove all things; hold fast
those which are democratic" Do they
abridge individual freedom? Reject
them. Do they take power from the
state and transmute it into liberty ter
the citizen? Do they take from priv
ilege the advantage 1t wrongfully
gained and unjustly holds, and restore
equality? Then frankly accept them
and advocate them, assured that what
is right is democratic, and the reverse,
and that what is not democratic is
wrong and dangerous. Whether the
party does this or not, affects only the
party. Any idea that establishes Its
right to live will find party in good
time, and it is only the worse for the
party that shuts its door on it-St.
Paul Globe,