The Caucasian., 1895-06-20
,noEPfnDEnr m Politics.



This is in harmony with the modern
thought movement which in the six |
teenrh century burst the shackles OF
Roman Absolutism and asserted the |
right of Individualism. When Mare
tin Luther stood before the Diet Of
Worms and declared Here ! stand,
| cannot do otherwise. SO help me
God" be asserted for all time that
the individual is q source of truth.
Opposing as he did his own opinion
to that of al the greatest men Of the
age and even to the church, consid-
cred then the only source Of truth,
he shattered once for all the fa!la
cious argument that the individual
must without qualification
SUBMIT TO THE MAJORITY.
And 50 throughout our history, the
leaders of every great movement
have been men who by the power of
their intellect. and as a result OF
personal experience have gained a
deeper Interpretation Of some prob
lem Of government or OF religion or
some phase of life. Such men have
dared to be in the right with two
or three"-have maintained their pO-
sition
AGAINST THE JEERING MAJORITY
until at last they have been crowned
as the heroes of their generation.
Who shall say that Luther aud Gail
leo, and Ricardo and Fulton, and
centuries back that great exponent
of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of Nazareth
who in this audience to-day will
assert that these men should have
submitted to the MAJORITY And if
you grant the right of individual
opinion to these men, by what au-
thority do you
DENY 1T TO ANY TODAY7
Who is to be the judge as to the
value of that opinion? Surely not a
party organization nor yet the con-
sensus of public opinion, for these
have condemned every great leader.
This movement of individualism
which was brought. to crisis and
found its first substantial expression
in Luther, caused the Reformation
and the French Revolution, and in
spired the hearts of those Puritans
who, demanding individual freedom
in the worship of God, came to this
land and laid the foundations of this
Republic. Yet Individualism was
not supreme. Early began the CEN
centralizing movement which ulti-
mately led to the union. Continu-
ally through our history do we see
the struggle of these two opposing
forces. The Revolution was a war
for individual rights and resulted in
a triumph for individualism. The
civil war was war for individual
rights and the Union triumphed.
Our constitution is the greatest gov
ernment document ever written, be-
cause it recognizes these two forces
and gives each its field of action.
And so must it be with our party
system. "In union there is strength
was never better applied, and yet the
rigid party system must make some
concessions to this individual. The
present corruption of our political
system Is due almost entirely, I be-
lieve, to the
DENIAL OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS.
There have been fulfilled the fears
of Webster when he said:
"When party spirit carries men so fa1
that they will not inquire into men and
measures that are placed before them TO,
their sanction and support, but will only
inquire to what party the men belong, OF
what party recommends the measures, thai
is state of things which is dangerous tc
the stability of free government.
This is the logical outcome of the
rigid party system, for so long as q
party holds its members by ITS past
record, by a general and vague
policy of government, and by party
rather than national ::spirit, just SO
long will
BOsSIsM AND MACHINE POLITICS
RULE.
What then is the true function of q
party system9
In theory our government is an
expression Of the life, a crystaliza
ton of the opinion of the majority.
Party organization is necessary to
give expression to that opinion; but
a rigid organization in each of whose
subdivisions the minority must sub
NIT absolutely to the majority and
every member of the whole yield
without question to the dictates OF
party leaders, this, assert, is q rule
as tyrannical and irresistible as that
of any mediaeval despot. All per-
sonal manhood in a free nation
IS PROSTATE BEFORE TYRANNY
. unknown to the constitution and the
laws. Such q system tends to co.
cree and bride public opinion and
, give no chance for its free expires.
sion. Such system inevitably
leads to the boss rule of Tom Plat
or a Tammany chief. Both of these
tyrants have had to yield before
the Independent movement which
swept New York last fall, and nov
for almost the first time in hel
history, the City of New York i,
ruled by the
VOICE OF THE MAJORITY
freely expressed at the polls.
The rigid party system fails be
cause it interprets but one phrase O
our dual national life. The extrem,
independent movement which woulC
do away with parties is equally de
ficient and for the same reason
There must be blending of the two
There must be parties organized
and united on some great principl,
or political measure; their STANDARD
bearers must be national leaders
men of courage and integrity t.
whom the nation and her prosper
lty are Of far greater importancetha,
mere. party success. The member
must be willing to yield differences
OF opinion on questions of minor i'm
portance for the triumph of the on,
great issue or principle. Yet if tn,
time comes when the party is
y~