The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-06-19
BENNETTsvILLE, S. c., June (, 1901.

BENNETTsvILLE, S. c., June 4, 1901.
Mr.. w. +. Clayton. Florence, 5. c.
Dear Sir: In your letter of June 3you ask
me Ito ditferentiate between my views
and the views of leading Republicans, as
most of as see no diffe,enc' am very
busy at this time but will dictate few
thoughts as they occur to me in reply TO
your question. l do this with the mora
pleasure because you have been opposed
to me politically, but show desire to
seek the truth.
At the time of the adoption of the Uni
ted States Constitution there were several
distinct ms of government proposed.
Or theseE ans the fight was made upon
two: the H .miltonian idea and the Jetfer-
sonian Idea. Alexander Hamilton openly
maintained that the British Constitution
was the most perfect instrument OF Its
kind ever in existence. He wanted all
laws for the government Of the States TO
be passed by the Congress of the United
States. He wanted the President OF the
United States and the Senators to hold
office during good behavior. He wanted
the Governors of the States appointed by
the President of the United States and he
wanted the Federal Government to as
sumo the debts of the State. He wanted
q strong Senate and a weak House OF Rep
resentatives, and openly proclaimed his
belief that the people were incaple OF self
lister to England in order to make COM
mercial treaty, which would have placed
our commerce under the control Of Great
Britain. The Hamiltoniau idea was so far
carried out that he succeeded In prevent
ing the Incorporation of bill OF rights, IN
the Federal Constitution. Under his
leadership the Congress imposed the
excise tax, which made the rich
escape the burdens of taxation and
placed those burdens upon the poor. This
brought about the revolution IN Pennsyl-
vania and came very near dlsruptlng the
new Republic. Thomas Jefferson forced
the bill of rights into the Constitution as
an amendment. AS minister to France he
succeeded in defeating the purposes OF the
jay treaty with England. Hamilton IA
vored and Jefferson opposed the granting
of monopolies, the establishing of Il United
States bank and the assumption Of the
State debts by the Federal Government.
Associated with Jefferson were Madison,
Monroe Samuel Adams, Albert Gallatln,
George Clinton and Benjamin franklin
Associated with Hamilton were John
Marshall, John Jay, John Adams and
Pinckney. The Democratic party has been
in continuous existence ever since the
adoption of the Constitution, while the
Federal party of which the Republicans
are the successors, has passed through
number of changes The Federal party,
at first successful, fpally committed sui
eide by carrying their doctrine OF cen
tralized government so far as to pass ths
alien and sedition law. Under this law
the President was authorized upon his
own volition to eXpel from the country
any alien whom he might suspect as dau-
gerous to the peace and liberty Of the
country, etc. This radical measure crea
ted a powerful reaction.
The Democrats then remained in power
q, wit inf
During this time all of the territory ac-
ouired by the United States up to 1928
was secured except the Territory of Alas
ka, and every foot of it was encountered
by the vigorous denunciation Of the Re
publicans.
During this entire time the Democrats
were the progressive men. They held to
the principle that the people should rule,
but that the General Government, While
keeping taxation at the lowest rate con-
sistent with good government, should eN-
pend the fund thus derived for the good
of the whole people. In 1855 they favored
subsidizipg the Pacific Railroad. About
the same time they started the subsidy to
the Collins Line of steamships b>tween
the United States and England. Based
upon the principle of the Jetfersonlan
commercial treaty with France, they hal
concluded treaties with all the principal
nations, and those treaties are still III force.
They had built up our foreign commerce
until it excited the wonder and admiration
of the entire world. Tney had, under
General Jackson, stopped Imprisonment
for debt. They had fought two successful
wars with foreign nations. They had ea
tablished credit throughout the world
second to no nation on earth. They were
fighting for the principles OF liberty Of
thought and action and the freedom OF
American citizenship. Matters of internal
concern the leaders of the party differed
about. General jackson was the first to
make a reciprocity treaty. The ne. recl-
procity treaty was made by President
Pierce John Randolph, acting against tbs
leaders of his party, voted agair ! the
Embargo Act, and was finally successful
In defeating that legislation. Clay, Cal
houn, Cheves and Lowndes actively op-
posed Pres. dent jefferson in the matter OF
decreasing the army. The first proposition
Of a protective tariff for the purpose OF
protection came from James Madison: and
Calhoun and Lowndes joined with Madi-
SON in it's favor. The Federalists opposed
protection. Clay and Calhoun favored
measures of internal Improvement, and
Madison vetoed them. Our great d!stinc.
tive foreign policy known as the Monroe
doctrine was a Democratic policy. The
Democrats defeated the scheme Of the
Republicans to turn over Oregon and
Washington to Great Britain.
The Democratic party has never yet de-
MED to any man within its lines the privi-
leee of free thought and free speech. 1t
has never yet failed to correct mistakes
when it has made them. 1t has lost no
opportunity to build up the merchant
marine and open up our trade with foreign
ports. 1t opened up the japanese ports
when all of the nations of the earth had
failed.
The party has never been inconsistent.
and yet it has never stultitied itself by
adhering to previous platforms when the
conditions which demanded them had
changed. Until 1856 the Democrats had
denied the power in the Federal Govern
ment to make internal i'm provements, and
yet it was the first to advocate the great
improvement Of the Pacific railroads and
the Nicaraguan Canal.
In the matter of tariff it was protec
ticn party under the leadership of James
Madison; declared for free trade in lS4s;
for Incidental protection" in 1868;
tariff for revenue only in 1880, and in 1854
che Convention said:
Moreover, many industries have come
% rely upon legislation for successful
continuance, so that any change of law
must be at every step regardful of the
labor and capital thus involved. The ne
cessary reduction and taxation can and
must be effected without depriving Amer
ican labor of the ability 20 compete sue
cessfully with foreign labor and without
imposing lower rates Of duty than will be
ample to cover any increased cost of pro
duction which may exist in consequence
of the higher rate of dnges prevailing in
this country"
In 1883 the platform still recognized that
other things besides revenue were to he
taken into account in framing tariff legls-
lation. 1t said: Oar established indus
tries and enterprises should not be endan-
gered."
For more than half a century every
Democratic Convention condemned Il ma
tional bank and firmly supported metal
lie currency. In 1890, lisa and 1855 the
Democratic party declared i'll favcr OF
gold and silver and paper convertible into
coin on demand In 1892 it favored the
coinage of both metals under All interna-
tional agreement. In 1sSS the Republican
platform read:
THE Republican party is in favor Of the
use of both gold aud silver as money and