The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-07-07

comes a member of the party with the
expectation that he will agree upon
all subjects with every member of the
party, but ne ought to expect to agree
with other members on the general
policy of the party and be willing to
confer on equal terms with other
members as to details and methods
content that the voice of the ma
jority shall be the voice of the party
unless the majority violates some
fundamental principle or demands of
him the surrender of a conviction.
Broader Point of View.
I think, however, that your question
calls for a broader consideration of
the subject. If the democratic party
is entitled to the name, it must be
true to the ideas of democracy, and
if We can for moment lay aside
party definitions l will define Il dem
ocrat as one who believes in the rule
| OF the people. The word, democracy,
is derived from the Greek, and the
two words, demos (the people), and
krateo ito rule). leave no doubt that
a democracy is government in which
the people rule. A democrat, there
fore, if the meaning of the mama IS
considered, must DE one believes in
the rule of the people.
This view of the subject is sustain
ed by the writings Of Jefferson. A
short time time before his death in
a letter to Mr.. Lee he said. Men
by their constitutions are naturally
divided into two parties: First, those
who fear and distrust the people and
wish to draw all power from them
into the hands Of. the higher classes;
second, those who Identify themselves
with the people, have confidence in
them, cherish and consider them as
the most wise depository of the pun-
lie Interests. In every country these
two parties exist, AMI in every one
where they are free to think, speak
and write, they will declare them
selves" Then speaking of the yari-
GUS names which had been applied in
different countries to these two par
ties he said: The last appellation of
aristocrats and democrats is the true
one, expressing the essence of ALL
Jeffersonian Distinction.
| II will be seen that Jefferson used
the word democrat to distinguish
these who have confidence in the peo-
pie and the word aIistocfat IT, de-
scribe those who fear and distrust
the people. and 10 che can torture
the word democrat into any other
nearing or apply il accurately with
out considering the distinction which
JeTeI son points out
What Jefferson said was true al
the time he said it, and it is as true
TO-DAY. These two parties are to he
found in every country and no matter
| by what name they are known, they
represent the two elements in society.
| Those who trust the people are every.
where endeavoring to bring the govern
men- nearer to the people and TO
make it more responsive to the VIII
Of the people Those who distrusi
the people are everywhere endeayor-
! ing to obstruct each new step toward
popular government
We have in this country the dis
! tinct:on which Jefferson pointed out,
and from the earliest time have had
among our inhabitants both the aTis-
tocrat and the democrat. Hamilton
represented the aristocrat idea of lis
day and proposed a plan of govern
ment which provided for a president
| holding Office during good behavior.
for senators holding Office during good
be Gvior. and for governors appointed
! by the federal government and hoiu
ing office during good behavior. Ham
| ilton distrusted the people and wanted
to remove the government as far
| from the people as possible. he
| feared the passions of the multitude
tho influence of the mob" etc, etc.
We have some today who take Harlil-
ton as their ideal and who, like Ham
lion, distrust the PEOPLE and seek TO
build complicated systems of repre-
sentation between the people and their
public servants. These, however, do
not represent the mass of the voters
in any party and can only be Sic
cessful when they can deceive the
party as to their real purpose.
Jeffersonian Growth.
| Hamilton's idea was repudiated u.
| the time of the adoption of the con-
stitution, and the ideas of Jefferson
were triumphant. The popular idea
| has continued to grow and the .1oc-
triReS of Jefferson were never strong
er than they are today. Our United
States senate is more Hamfltonian in
its method OF election than the horse.
anil the constant growth of sentiment
| in favor of the popular election of
| United States senators is evidence
THAI the democratic idea is larger
than the membership of any party. /
can remember very well when the
resolution submitting the necessary
constitutional amendments passed the
national house of representatives for
the first time. A number of demo-
cratic senators were fearful of the eff
fectS of the change, it was new
departure and they were very conser-
vative, but time has either convinced
theTA or forced them to keep silent
and the same influence is at work
converting republican leaders or 81
lencing them. The popular election
of senators by the people was ell
dorsed by the democratic national
convention of 1900 and by the demo-
cratic national convention of 1904.
While the committee on resolutions
spent sixteen hours on the 1904 plat
form, this was one question upon
which there was no division of senti-
mentS. To-day a man can hardly
-. - h. Il IN, hi