Semi=weekly graphic., 1896-08-26
BEGIN WITH THE PEOPLE
The Democratic Idea Is to Ele-
vate the Masses.
THEN ALL ARE PROSPEROUS.

Bounsy They May Choose to BestoW.
Two Theories OF Government Contrasted.
There are two ideas of government
There nre those who believe that if you
just legislate to make the well to do
prosperous their prosperity will leak
through on those below. The Democrat
ic idea has been that if you legislate to
make the masses prosperous their pros
perity will find its way up and through
every class and rest upon it.-William
J. Bryan in the Chicago Convention.
In this telling contrast Mr.. Bryan has
uttered not only an epigram, but sci
entific formula. The Republican theory
of the relations of the government with
the national prosperity is and has been
literally az he states it. The influence
of this theory has been especially marked
in the tariff policy with which the name
of William Mckinley has been conspie-
uously identified. Nobody pretends that
there is anything in any tariff law that
gives anything directly to workman,
shopkeeper Or clerk, and it cannot be
seriously maintained that such laws
contain any direct benefits for farmers
The benefits of high tariff, according
TO its advocates, descend upon tho
masses by way of the large employers
Of labor. The tariff enables the manu-
facturers aud mine owners to tax the
community, and then, by the hypothesis,
they impnlsively divide their gains with
their workmen in the form of higher
wages, and the workmen, in turn, shed
prosperity among the tradesmen and
farmers.
From the foundation of our govern
ment the two ideas to which Mr.. Bryan
refers have striyen for the mastery. The
old Federalists, of whom the Republic
ans of today are the legitimate descend
ants, believed in en- ordered hierarchy
OF society, with the gentleman of prop
crty Mt the top and the working masses
looking to him fer guidance, employ
ment and protection. Take care Of the
gentlemen, was their motto, and the
gentlemen will take care of the people.
Their ideal was tho benevolent squire,
living on his landed estates and SUR
rounded by happy, loyal and reyerent
tenantry, to whom the gracious lady of
the hall would take delicacies when
they We're sick, and who would con-
tentedly take up thoir abode i'll the
workhouse when they were old.
Opposed to the Federalist idea was
that Of the untamed Democracy, which
held that every man was the best guard
ian of his own fortunes. and which
asked nothing of its 'betters' but
"plain. ordinary ciyility and--little of
that. The clerical, editorial and ora
torical fshwiyes of today could have
taught the alarmed responsibility Of
that time nothing in the way of abuse
of the demagegues whose revolutionary
doctrines were subverting the order of
society. But the Democratic idea won
and became the basis of our system of
government. Up to the time when the
Republican party was captured by the
plutocracy it had created the people
were recognized as the source Of nation
al power and wealth. Nor have they
given up that idea yet. 1t is hard to
make dependent peasantry and prole-
tariat of a race bred for generations TO
carve its own way in government and
industry. AIMS
Even if the average millionaire were
bursting with philanthropic impulses
and never would consent to rise without
pulling up everybody below him, it
would still be repugnant to American
instincts to have a crowbar inserted in
the social fabric to lift the top, in the
expectation that the rest would follow.
Tho more natural way is to lift every
thing at once by raising the base. But
cases have been known in which men of
wealth have risen without exerting
themselves to pull anybody else with
them This fact intensifies the popular
distaste for the Republican plan of rails
ing society by the top There is a prev
alent fear that the advantages bestowed
upon the upper classes may not get
themselves evenly distributed, after all.
The masses prefer to make sure by hav-
ing the process begin with them. New
York Journal