Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1904-03-07
TRUE DEMOCRACY
WILL TRIUMPH, SAYS WILLIAM
RANDOLPH HEARST
In Letter to the Iroquois Club. Chicago.
at the Andrew jackson Banquet, March
IS, 1908. Gives Reasons for the Faith
That Is in Him.
Gentlemen OF the 1riquois Club

deHClemen OF the lrlQuOS CLUB
l greatly regret that engagements
which canont be broken prevent me from
accepting your much appreciated invita-
ton to join with you tonight in doing
reverence to the memory of Andrew
Jackson. None can feel more strongly
than myself that his is memory which
should be kept fresh in the minds of his
countrymen. He stood for great ideas
and good deeds. The very spirit Of
democracy was incarnate in the hero of
Hickory Ground and the victor of New
Orleans. In his day, he was as passion
ate:y loved by the plain people as
Thomas Jefferson himself had been, and
as cordially hated, too, by the classes
who look upon special privilege as their
right.
To every American who believes in
and hoi es for the perpetuity of demo-
cratic instructions the name of Andrew
Jackson should be an inspiration to
hope, shield against doubt and des-
pondency.
When the pessmist tells us that the
Republic is in danger, that the country
is drifting away from democracy and that
an aristocracy or an oligarchy or an i'm
perialistic government is being establish
ed in its stead, we have only to look
back over our history to learn that every
such aristocratic condition has been
overthrown by popular upheavel, a
peaceful political revolution, which has
re.established the rule OF the people with
greater power than before.
Under the influence OF Hamilton an
theories the Government OF the Republic
early swung toward the aristocratic form,
toward the English model Of social caste
and the political predominance of the
select and fortunate few. 1t was the
fashion to deny the worth of the people
and erect against them undemocratic
barriers founded upon distrust OF their
capacity to govern themselves. Had the
Hamiltonian scheme prevailed, this Re-
public would have become monarchy
in all but name within the lifetime Of
the men who signed the Declaration OF
Independence. But the democracy OF
the country asserted itself, a peaceful
political revolution occurred, and Jeffer-
son was selected by the people to repre-
sent the people as President of the Unit
ed States.
He gave democratic battle to the I'M
democratic coniederated wealth and
prejudice of his time. He redeclared
the equality of men, preached the etern-
ally true doctrine that in our Republic
the people, whatever their shortcomings,
are the safest depository of power, the
best guardians of their own interests
The people reelected jefferson to the
Presidency by majority so overwhelm-
ing that the ederalists-educated able
end brilliant in leadership as they were
persisted as a party. That historic
landslide made it known forever that the
people, and not mere property, have the
right to rule in this Republic. But it is
right that to be preserved must be con-
stantly reasserted and fought for.
By 1928 the elements which in every
age appropriate privileges had encroach.
ed again. II seemed that the able and
acquisitive few were once more in
terenched beyond serious danger Of over
throw. Under the presidency Of John
Quincy Adams, paternalism-the aristo-
cratic theory that good government is a
boon bestowed by those above upon
those below-was in the ascendant, but
the people arose again, and in a second
political revolution re.established pure
democracy and selected Andrew Jackson
to administer it.
There is special parallel between the
evils upon which we waged war and those
that now confront ourselves. He fought
the political corrupting power Of con-
centrated and self-seeking money as rep.
resented by the United States Bank,
which was to the popular view then
what the trusts are to the popular view
now. He fought judicial usurpation and
judicial tvranny-as we shall have to
fight it if we are not content to live under
lawless despotism covering itself with
the mantle OF the law. He fought
special legislation and divorced his party,
if he could not wholly divorce the gov.
eminent, from coriupting partnership
with private interests. He was an enc
my Of privilege. In other words he was
Democrat. Under him the country
had the blessings flowing from revival
OF Jefersonian principles.
The years passed, and at length the
democratic party itself, through long
continuance in power, assumed an aristo-
cratic character and became transformed