The herald., 1897-11-29
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1897.
RISE AND FALL OF PARTIES

The history of political parties in this
country affords an interesting and i'll
structive study. Numbers Of parties,
great and small, have risen and disap-
peared. Reorganization has been fire.
quent and the great parties which have
contended for national supremacy have
had their ups and downs, their victories
and defeats.
The American people have usually ar
rayed themselves under the banner of
one or the other Of two parties. Innu-
merable small parties have risen from
time to time on special or local issues.
but their existence has been ephemeral
and on their disappearance the members
have Joined the ranks of the principal
contestants. The issues between the
great parties have been national and
general, and have related to funda-
mental principles and the common well
fare.
The most instructive part Of the study
Of political mutations is of the causes
which have produced them. One fact Is
patent throughout our political history.
and it is that the party which does not
keep abreast with the progress of
events; which does not observe the
changes of conditions In the processes of
development and refrains from adopt
ing assimilative policies, at first expert
ences defeat and, if that does not make
1t wiser, demise is the secondary and in
evitable result.
Parties long in power are apt to be-
come retrogressive, to regard effete
questions as still existent. They do not
recognize the fact that the world is
moving, and that what is pertinent to-
day will be out of date tomorrow. Like
the Bourbons, they forget nothing but
they do not learn that changes make it
necessary to grapple with new ques-
tions, which are ever presenting them
selves, especially in country where
popular government prevails.
Whenever any new and important ques-
ton arises, it cannot be expected that
all the members of any party will think
alike in regard to it, and hence reorgan-
izations have been as frequent as new
issues. 1t is not evidence of wisdom
or patriotism that men retain party af-
filiations, nor are changes from one po-
litical side to the other proof of infidelity
or inconsistency. Men who keep them
selves informed and who use their own
intelligent judgment will not always
continue in the rut of the past. The best
citizen is he who shapes his opinions in
accordance with current conditions
When Washington was first elected
president there was but one party, and
1t comprised substantially the whole
people. Differences gradually appeared,
but opposition to the policy of the Fed
eral party did not become formidable for
twelve years. The issue was between
the friends of a strong central govern
ment and a more liberal theory, which
was the rule Of the masses instead of
that of a class. AS soon as the people
had found time to think they installed
Jefferson in power, and the party for
that purpose remained in control of the
government for twenty-four years. The
Federal party, in the meantime, disap-
peared as an organization.
In 1924 there We're four candidates for
the presidency, and ali had supported
the Jeffersonian party. Such condi-
ton could not long continue. -Four
years later but two candidates were be-
fore the country, and the people were
divided between two parties Reorgan-
ization ensued. and two new parties