The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-06-23
Political Doctrine.

nearly all of the worlds people up to
the latter part of the last century
In the Bible times the injustice of it
was not discovered. 1t was thought
that few were born to rule the many
That idea is not quenched yet, even
in this country. We never nave been
slave driver, slave owner or a pro-
slavery voter. We have changed our
party relation Severaf times but never
have changed our political faith. New
questions have come up but the old
ones have stood firm. am still an
abolitiOnist, freesoiler, Lincoln repub-
lican, prohibitionist and Bryan popu-
list.
! The slave question was warmly dis
cussed at the time wnen the declara-
ton of independence was adopted and
when the United States constitution
was framed. At both OF these times
it came near scattering the states in
stead of uniting them. Patrick Henry
first wrote the declaration but Thomas
Jefferson was chosen to rewrite it and
when he first presented it two or three
delegates from Georgia and South
Carolina objected to the four follow
ing sentences and they were stricken
out. "Slave trade is an execrable COM
merce, piratical warfare crusading
against human nature, an approbrium
of infidel power" Jefferson has stood
above Washington in our estimation.
Then when the convention under
took to frame constitution, for unit
ing all the states, they had long, hot
discussion and had to split the differ
ence and compromise. Five slaves
counted three in population, each
state, big or small, have two senators
and direct taxes were to be levide ac-
cording to population.
The first presidential election we
remember was the second election of
Jackson. What we dfd not like about
him was the fact that he had fought
| several duels and killed four men.
Previous to that the vice president
killed man and retained his seat as
president of the senate. Anti-duelism
was one of the political sentiments of
that day. Then Jackson was opposed
to the government issuing paper
money He thought wildcat banks bet
| ter So at that time we thought the
whig party nearer right.
| In 1910 when Harrison ran for presi-
dent we thought 1t meant north
against the south in opposition to the
further extension of slavery and the
issue of national paper money. Har-
rison died and the vice president was
from the south and worked against
the north. Soon after this we became
an abolltionist. There was no diff
ference which party carried the day
the south got what they wanted every
time.
Soon after Taylor's death. the name
abolition" became offensive and We
changed 10 free soller. but our doctrine
was the same. Both OF the old par
ties were then badly split, There were
silver gray and wooley head whigs.
hunkers and barn burner democrats
free sellers, abolltlonists and native
Americans. After the election OF
Pierce the south and northern sym
pathixefs. silver grays aud hunkers.
united under Buchanan and the other
factions united under Fremont as re-
publlcans. The backbone doctrine was,
No moro slave states. We stood with
that doctrine aud with that party un-
til there was little difference between
them and the Cleveland democrats.
Instead NJ voting with either We voted
for prohibition.
Ia 1896 the prohibition eastern Lead
era soid out 10 the gold hugs and We