Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-03-31
Washin9ton Standard
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

Knight W'atchmnH. Its guiding hand
steered the republic through the first
hall century OF its existence, during
which time the world hehcld, for
the first time, the rise OF a nation
to wealth, power and greatness, whose
corner stones were universal suffrage
and universal education.
The author Of the Declaration OF
Independence was the founder OF the
Democratic party. Its formation took
place through process OF natural Sc
lection. While Americans gener-
ally were unit in favor Of independ-
ence from Great Britain, after their in
depence was achieved there existed a
wide difference Of opinion among the
foremost men of that day regarding
the character of government that
should be established.
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas
Jefferson soon became the recognized
leaders of thought and opinion. JEFF
ferson laid down the broad proposition
that life, liberty, and the pursuit OF
happiness were the natural rights of
all men, and that the true province OF
government was to conserve these ma
tural rights; that governments were
just or unjust, in proportion as they
succeeded or failed, measured by this
test. Jefferson solved the problem of
all time. Christ proclaimed God to
be the common father and that all
men were brothers. jefferson, stand
ing upon the natural rights OF all men
to be free, sought to so bind men to-
gether into commonwealth that at
last they might melt into brothers.
On the other hand, there was large,
wealthy and powerful class, OF aristo-
cratic tendencies, who like the found
ers of the ancient Greek republics,
thought they themselves were entitled
to be free, but were unwilling to ex-
tend the freedom they claimed for
themselves so as to embrace the whole.
They favored liberal government
compared to others existing ut the
time, but opposed government con-
sistins of, and responsible to, the
whole people. They struggled hard to
establish q government giving the
President life tenure OF Office with
power to appoint Governors of the
States. The government of their
choice was, in fact, form of limited
monarchy. Alexander Hamilton was
the recognized leader of this class.
Hamilton and jefferson were both
men of extraordinary power. Their
leadership was of that character that
goes unchallenged. Under the law OF
natural selection the people gravitated
to one or the other. The crystaliza-
ton of opinion in favor of the ideas
that Jefferson commended for, formed
the Democratic party-at that time
known by the name of Republican
party; while those who held the views
championed by Hamilton banded
themselves together in their support,
ard were known by the name of Fed
eralists.
Jefferson and his followers prevailed
and our republic with constitution
guaranteeing and safeguarding the
liberties of the people was launched
upon the sea of time.
The American republic, hated by
the rulers of the Old World and re.
viled by the sycophants who subsisted
on the crumbs of favoritism that
dropped from the tables of kings and
emperors, at once became the hope of
the world. The success of the repub-
lie justified the claims of Jefferson.
He and his followers were the con.
structive statesmen of the first half
century of our national existence.
Their courageous, aggressive, and sue
cessful administration was character
lied by the most rigid application of
the principles expressed in the great.
est good to the greatest number. The
traditions of the Democratic party
continued to attract to its ranks the
same class who rallied to the support
OF Jefferson in his day.
The Democratic party was the party
of the people in its inception, and in
spite of the assault of the money
power and modern tories, it is the
party of the people to-day.
In 1896, when the party was in dis
grace, with a President of its own
selection in power, corrupt dealing
with foreign and domestic money
changers and usurers and trampling
under foot morals and decency, the
rank and file of the party rose in their
might, repudiated and condemned the
conduct of the administration and
demonstrated the vitality of q govern
ment of the people. The Chicago
platform reafirms anew the Declare.
ton of Independence. 1t assures us
that the spirit of '76 still lives. Upon
this platform in 1900 the Democratic
party will attract to its fold greater
majority of the American voters than
ever before united in one party. The
duty of all who believe in a govern
ment of the people, for the people, and
by the people, is to commence at once
to assist in bringing the people in the