St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-01
WHATIs DBMoCRaCyq

WHAT is DEMOCR hCY?
Such question ought not to be seri-
ously asked, and up to the assembling
of congress III special session it could
not have been; but the action and mac
ton of that body, what ii has done and
left undone, and the reasons given for
the doing and the not doing. together
with the ranting of some papers UNI
worthily wearing the garb of Democ-
racy, make the asking and the answer
ing OF it Il pertinent matter.
There were some years in the history
of the party when it earned the appelia-
ton 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 resistance
to every progressive movement. 1t was
Officered by lot of emnently respect
able old fossils who could not bear the
strain on their nerves and inteIlects
that a consideration of any new and
better way of doing things involved.
They were the statesmen of the rut.
They dominated the party before and
for long after the war. Principles were
too vigorous and eXacting for them:
they preferred the clean and slippered
pantaloon'' OF policy.
Judging from words spoken and print
ed now, there are men who think that
they are Democrats who assert that 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 posi-
ton of opposition and hostility to them.
They pirate about the traditional policy
Of the party assuming that its traditions
bear no older date than the tifties. They
are evidently ignorant that the party in
this country had Its birth in the first
progressive movements 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 ideas. He was born revolution
ist. and many Of our most fixed policies
are the children of his revolutionary
brain. The divorce of church and state,
the blow at 0ligarchy which his aboli-
ton of the law Of primogeniture struck
are some OF these. 1t was not until in
recent years the party shook off the
lethargy of the conservatives and be-
came progressive that it has come up
out of its deserved subordination. 1t
was when the mossbacks were sent to
the rear that the party inspired the con
tidence that gained it recruits and gave
it victory.
There is not room in any nation for
two conservative parties to co.eXist.
The Republican party lost years ago its
initiative of progress, and has been con-
tented 10 merely administer the govern
ment, meeting the eXigencies as they
arose as best it could by temporary eX-
pedients. 1t had spasm of progress
along its chosen line of policy in 1899,
but the evidence is plentiful that it re-
grets the advance it made, and will re-
treat from it when again in power. 1t
will accept the tariff act of this con-
greSS; it will abiure force bills, and 1t
will dodge and hedge on the currency.
This leaves the Democracy only the
avenue of meeting the new questions
of the day frankly, bravey and with
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
DemocraticP 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 for
the citizen? Do they take FROM privi-
lege 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