The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-10-17
Political Differences.

1t is always a pleasure to talk of re-
publicanism, it is a pleasure because re-
%publicanism has been so important a
factor in the progress and prosperity of
our country for more than a third of a
century.
Since 1861, what mighty problems
have confronted the American people,
what seemingly, overwhelming diff
culties, what changed conditions, what
grave questions involving the life and
death of the nation, and yet republic
canism has been strong enough and
broad enough and great enough to
meet and grapple with them all and,
bring America to the proudest and
most envied place among the nations OF
the earth. That is why it is a pleasure
to talk of re~pnblicanism, that is why.
we are proud of u party, and why we
ask others to join in its glorious
achievements. The problem of self
government will always be- a serious
one, that which in other countries is
delegated to princes and potentates,
rests here with us. The sooner we
realize that selfgovernment is entirely
too serious a task to be discussed
wholly. through pa~rtisanship, that it
means too much to be considered
lightly, and that with sovereign power
comes sovereign responsibility, the bet
ter it will be for the republic.
AS component parts of a great gov
eminent, we may consider ourselves a
part of a committee of the whole to
consider the state of the nation.
There aresome things upon which we
are agreed We are willing to concede
that all parties and all citizens have
for their purpose in politics the we'll be-
ing and prosperity of our country and
our people.
We are then agreed in purpose, but
we are disagreed as to the details of its
accomplishment.
We all agree that government is
necessary, but we cannot agree as to
how much is necessary. We are agreed
tkat-it requires money to run a govern.
ment but WI are not agreed as to how
that money should be raised.
We are agreed that money is a nece,-
sity, but we are not agreed as to the
kind of money We should have.
We are agreed that government
should place no unnecessary obstacle
in the way Of individal success, but we
are not agreed as to where the limit is
between individual success and public
injury.
We are all agreed that the honor of
the flag must be maintained, but we
are not agreed as to what is necessary
to maintain it's honor.
There are still other points of differ
ence between the two great parties but
these cover the field in a general way
Years ago there were the Federal
and Anti-Federal parties, for it seems
that from the very beginning of our
government, great men differed as to
how much government we should have.
The Federal party said 1.-THE United
States ISL and its direct lineal descend
ant today isithe republican party. The
Anti Federalist said 1.-The United
States ARE' and the direct %descendent
Of the Anti Federalist is the modern
democrat. Some are prone to believe
that the doctrine Of States Rights was
shot to pieces in the civil war, but it is
q fact that the southern states, com
posing the majority of the democratic
party cling to that doctrine as tenac.
iously as ever.
Congressman Lacey told during his
recent visit here of attending a college
commencement at the University of
Virginia. The halls were lavishly
decorated with the state flag of Viz.
ginia, even the stripes and bars of the
c%onfederacy were present but not one
sign of the stars and stripes of the
Union. Did you ver see an Iowa
state flag? Thank God that on Iowa
soil there is but one flag, the flag of the
Union, n and inseparable. now and
forever. The republican party stands
for UDionism, it stands for strong
national government, leaving to the
state all questions which affect the
state alone, but RELOCATING to the ma
tional government all questions affect.
ing the people as a whole. We believe
In a national marriage and divorce law,
anational election law and a national
law regulating interstate commence
including railroads, trusts, monopolies.
etc. Any man of judgment must know
that the democrats of the south will
never consent to a constitutional
amendment taking away any portion
of the power Of the state. Relief then
must come from the north and from
the republican party. for every northern
democrat, including Bryan himself.
knows when he talks of a constitutional
amendment giving the United States
power to regulate trusts that no nation