Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-01-28
TIE BAR ASSOCIATION.
President wcstennaver's Address.

SuCidblOuy III buO bais w hA"uS vs.
folio wing extracts, as they are very
pertinent for the time and the oeca-
sion, now that the Legislature is in
session.
Mr.. Westenhaver spoke at some
length respecting failures OF admin
istration and legislation, of bribery
In elections, and corruption in the
legislative bodies. Alter giving the
causes OF them, he proceeded to
speak Of the difficulty in the way of
finding remedy, and spoke in part
with respect to present conditions
in West Virginia as follows:
The handle with which CONNER
cialism has wrought in controlling
legislation, the administration of the
law and party action, has been the
spirit of party loyalty. But for q
devotion to party names and SYM
bols, almost religious in its character,
the practices, of which / have been
speaking, could not have been made
respectable, or even sufficiently so
to have been dangerous. For this
reason, have placed an excess of
party spirit side by side with COM
mercialism, as one of the twin evils
of our national life.
Party spirit-a blind devotion to
party names-is perhaps the strong
est sentiment that exists today in
most Americans. 1t is sort of
superstition; itsupports and upholds
vicious actions done in the name of
party quite as vigorously as the
superstition about the divine right
of Kings upheld the illegal, arbitrary
and despotic action of the throned
barbarians of the Middle Ages. A
man is born into his party, as a
Brahmin is born into his caste. We
educate our youths, and then as has
been said, leave them free to go from
any school house to any church, and
they often go. In theory, perhaps,
we do likewise with respect to ones
political utilization, but in practice
the environment of early life deter
mines mans politics, with greater
certainty than it does his religion.
So well accepted is this fact that the
birth of son of Democratic or Re.
publicsn parentage is confidently
hailed in the local party paper as the
advent of another Democratic or
Republican voter, and if these prog
nostioations are falsified, the eccen-
tricity is regarded as disgraceful
alike to parent and offspring.
The evolution of this feeling is
quite natural. The method of gov
eminent with US is by party, and un-
til a better method is devised, of
which no signs are yet visible, it will
continue to be the method of self
government. The theory of Party
is the association for the time of a
body of men, having kindred views
of public policy, for the purpose of
putting them into effect by concert
of action. The first object of such
concerted actions is assumed always
and at all times, to be the highest
welfare OF the country. The party
has no right to exist, except as it
makes for the welfare of the country;
no one is charged with the duty of
acting with party, no one is a pa
triot if he acts with it, except as that
action makes for the welfare of his
country. And as in ones political,
as in ones religious relations, he is
entitled to freedom, so the right of
free thought and free speech makes
his own conscience the only test of
what is right for him.
But the conditions of party asso-
citation are such that the instrument,
that is, party, is substituted for the
end, that is, our country's welfare.
The party becomes an institution in
itself, to which duty is owed, quite
independent of the relation it bears
to the country's welfare. The voter,
holding conscientiously that the vel
fare of his country is wrapped up in
the ascendency of his party, sincere
ly believes that not to sustain the
party is to betray the country; or as
one of the most infamous products
of American institutions is credited
with having said recently: "a man
who will desert his party, will desert
his country" This feeling hardens
in time, till the stage confronting US
TODAY. is reached. which by moral
coercion drives men TO the support
OF candidates and measures, they
conscientiously disapprove,s and which
denies to those who differ from them,
and to the adherents of an opposing
party, all patriotism, or honesty.
AS Geo. VIM. Curtis, one OF the
finest types of American citizenship,
puts it: "It (party spirit) denounces
as a traitor, him, who protests
against party tyranny, and it makes
unflinchiDg adherence to what is
called regular party action, the con-
dition of the qualification Of honor
able political ambition. Because a
man who sympathizes with the party
aims, refuses to vote for thief, the
spirit scores him as rat and rene
gade. Because he holds to princi-
Pile and law against party expectancy
and dictation, he is proclaimed as
the betrayer of his country, justice
and humanity. Because be tran
GULLY insists upon deciding for him
self, when he must dissent from his
party, he is reviled as popinjay
and visionary fool. Seeking with
honest purpose only the welfare of
his country, the hot air around him
huns with the cry of the grand old
party the traditions of the party,
loyalty to the party future of the
party servant of the party and
be sees and hears the gorged and
portly mopey changers in the temple
usurping t very divinity of the
God"
The r;sht of the people to decide
public questions upon their merits is
enc of the most important rights of
self. government, and it is thus put
at hazard, indeed to large extent,
is thus taken away.
The ability to decide questions
rightly is also seriously impaired.
What did it matter if Julius Caesar
stole, and Caesar Borgia cheated;