The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-11-13
WHAT OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY?

interesting to look back on the past
history of the country to observe what
parties have exerted the greatest in
iuence in directing is government,
says the New Orleans 2-cayune.
GeoIss Washington, wao served
TWO terms. AMI Joan k&@m.. who sue
caed2d him. serving one, We're class
ed as fcdaralisJs. they were opposed
by the Jamocrauc-rerublican party
led by Jefferson. VINO succea35d Ad-
ans and was the third individual who
occupied the presidential office
jefferson served two terms and was
succeeded by Madison. who was
twice elected. and he was followed
by Monroe. who served two terms.
They represented the democralic-re-
publican party "a it was then known.
That brought the presidency down to
1923. when John Quincy Adams who
called himself a national republican,
was put UP against Andrew Jackson.
democrat. There was 10 election By
states. and The choosing OF pYesi-
dent devolvad on the house OF repre-
sen-atiyes. which elected Adams. who
served one term.
Then came Andrew Jackson. demo
crat. who served TWO terms. He was
followed by Martin Van Buren,. dem
ocrat, who served one term. The
whig party then came into promi-
nence. holding TO several doctrines
about a protective tariff. a national
bank and the sale of public lands, the
proceeds TO be divided out among the
existing states. The wings elected
General Harrison, hero of the Indian
wars. but al the next election. which
took place in 1874 Polk. democrat
was chosen. At the end of his term
the wings elected General Zachary
Taylor. a hero Of the Mexican war
This was the end of the whig inau-I
euce. Then the democrats returned
TO power and elected successfully
Pierce and Buchanan. which brings
history down to the civil war.
l. should be observed that the dem
ocratjc party had ruled The country
from soon after the beginning of the
national constitution down TO the civ
il war. with two breaks into the sue
cessiOn by the wings, a duration of
fifty-siX years. But the time had come
when the democratic party was to be
wholly overthrow as a national pow
er. The republican party arose and
has dominated the country ever since,
say from 1861 to 1909, a duration of
forty-eight years.
The democratic party still contin-
ued to exist in state organizations
and was able for a time to control
the congressional house of represen-
tatives. and twice il elected Grover
Cleveland to the presidency, but it
was doomed to suffer the fate of the
federal and whig parties, which it had
overcome and driven out of business.
The two terms of Mr.. Cleveland in
terjected into the national executive
office, when the republicans were
welding all the actual political pow
er. were like the two whjg admins
trations that varied the monOtony of
political domination by the demo
Gratis. They really meant nothing in
constitutional history.
1t looks as if the democratic party,
as a political power, has come to an
end. 1t will continue to exist in some
of the states for local purposes, and
there will always be a dominant white
party in the south, but as a national
power the indications are that dem
Ocracy will play a very subordinate
part. Issues are changing with great
rapidity. The republican party is the
parent of all the great private for
tunes in the union, and of all the vast
corporate monOpOlies and trusts Tn
der its fostering care a money power
has been created and built up. and
of necessity the offspring must stand
for its parent in a struggle that
threatens both.
Realizing. as the American people
will, that no constitutional cOnserva-
tive organization like the grand old
party of constitutional guarantees
and JeffersOnian principles can over
throw a political party intrenched and
maintained by a vast consolidation of
wealth. the time will come when
means will be found, not provided for
in the national constitution. TO work
such changes as the people may and
surely will demand.
If Mr.. Bryan had been elected to
the chief magisracy of the American
republic, the possibilities of a ire
mendous political and social upheav-
al would have been long postponed.