Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-10-20
THE TWO GREAT PARTIES.

The vast army OF voters in this
county known as Republicans and
Democrats are to a great extent made
up OF intelligent people, yet if requir-
ed to explain just why they support
these respective parties, or why they
like the name of one party better than
the other, they would fail in giving a
reasonable or proper answer. A great
many people vote the Democratic
ticket because their fathers did. They
had their politics instilled into them
lust as they had their belief in some
particular religious denomination, or in
other words. they received their politi-
cal inspiration from the same source
they received their spiritual inspira-
ton. What applies to Democrats also
applys to Republicans. They are SIM
ply following IN their ancestors foot
steps. There is another class that
vote contrary to their early teachings
This class votes from conviction. The
writer is one of that class. | do not
mean to infer that people brought up
in particular political belief, and
never change in that belief, are not
open to conviction but l do mean that
in a majority Of cases their early
teachings and surroundings have Gre
ated such a powerful impression upon
them that, to use a figure of speech,
they are as hard as flint, and that ar
guments, be they ever so powerful, and
apparently convincing have very little
impression upon them. 1t is surpriS-
ing how many fairly intelligent people
there are who are unable to give an in
telligent answer as to why they SO
reverence the two old parties. A great
many are capable of talking intelli
gently on various subjects, yet are un
able to properly define Republic or o
Democracy.
| have never known people who did
not like the word Republican, but 7
have known people who did not like
the word Democrat-it seemed to have
disagreeable sound to them. No
doubt it was due to prejudice, because
the word Democrat ought to have a
pleasant ring in the ears Of every true
lover OF liberty, because it is synony-
nous of freedom, liberty and indepen-
dence Democracy means country
governed by the people. A Republic
means the same thing, ii properly car
ried out France has q Republic, but
not a Democracy. The United States
has a Republic on q much broader
scale, therefore we have a Democratic
Republic Yet, from an idealistic
standpoint, Switzerland comes nearer
to true Democracy than any other
Nation on the globe, because that little
country, sandwiched between the great
powers of Europe, and secure in her
mountain yastnesses, proclaims to all
of the world that the will Of the people
is supreme and that the representa-
tiyes elected are the servants OF the
people, and not their masters. They
have what is known as the initiative
referendum, or, in other words, all
proposed legislation must be referred
to the people before enacted into law.
Again, SO many of the American
people have such limited knowledge
Of the history Of our political parties,
therefore to dwell a little on that line
at this particular time, when our peo-
pie are so much interested will prob
ably not be out of place.
There were nc political parties in
this country until few years. prior to
the Revolution While it is true, there
were murmurings among the people
for long time. yet there was no con-
certed effort made until Samuel Adams,
John Adams, Benz. Franklin, George
Washington, Patrick Henry. and that
band Of patriots resented the imposi-
tions OF the British Government. They
were hailed as patriots, while those
who upheld the policy of the Mother
Country were called Loyalists. In a
short time both parties took the names
OF the English parties The Patriots
were called Wings, the Loyalists were
called Torys. They went by those
names until after the Revolution when
dissensions arose in Washington's
Cabinet. Alexander Hamilton being
born in one of the British Isles. and
being by nature an Aristocrat. believed
in a strong central government. His
idea was to pattern after England,
while he advocated a Republic, he de-
sired to see a Republican Aristocracy.
Jefferson, being a plain man of the
common people, believed in a Democ-
racy. While he believed ne should
have a central power, he also believed
that each State should govern itself
Jefferson's ideas prevailed, thus we
have our present form of government.
The followers of Hamilton were call
ed Federalists, while the followers Of
Jefferson were called -Federalists
Inc idttef retained thaL name until
1900, when Jefferson became President.
The name Of anti-Federalists was then
dropped, and the name Democratic
Republican adopted IN short time
the word Republican was dropped
leaving the party with single name
that OF Democratic. That name mas
stood like a Gibraltar, and that party
has stood the storms of a century The
Federalists dragged along practically
without a name, as well as a party
until John Quincy Adams, in 1925. un-
der peculiar circumstances, slipped into
the Presidency. His followers, headed
by the gallant Henry Clay, one Of the
most magnetic and most popular Lead
& ers this country ever produced, called
themselves Wings the same name
which the Patriots went by previous to
the Revolution. That party retained