DEMOCRATIC PARTY 



1754 



DEMOSTHENES 



the war. The war had ended slavery and had 

 eliminated the threat of secession, but there 

 remained, one great issue, the tariff, from the 

 ante-war period. On this issue the Democratic 

 party won its only victories in national elec- 

 tions between 1856 and 1884. During the re- 

 construction period, the Democrats waged a 

 vigorous fight against the Congressional policy 

 of reconstruction, and later they took issue on 

 financial measures. The inefficiency in the 

 government under Grant gave the Democrats 

 an issue which nearly resulted in the election 

 of Samuel J. Tilden. Civil service reform and 

 lower tariffs were the campaign cries which 

 elected Grover Cleveland in 1884 and 1892, and 

 lower tariff was the chief plank of the Demo- 

 cratic platform in 1912, when Woodrow Wilson 

 was elected. 



In 1916 the underlying issue was the person- 

 ality of the candidates, but the Democratic 

 party practically stood on its record, which 

 the Republicans attacked with vigor. The 

 campaign was notable for the large number 

 of issues which were discussed among them 

 the Mexican situation, a proposed constitu- 

 tional amendment to provide national woman 

 suffrage, the threatened railway strike and the 

 Adamson railroad labor law, and most im- 

 portant of all, the government's attitude toward 

 the European nations, especially Germany, 

 whose submarines had been responsible for the 

 death of many Americans. 



In still another way, the War of Secession 

 marked a break in Democratic policy. From 

 1801 until 1861 the Democrats had been suc- 

 cessful in every Presidential election except 

 three. Tyler, moreover, who had been elected 

 with Harrison on the Whig ticket, turned out 

 to be more of a Democrat than a Whig. Be- 

 fore the war the Democratic was the majority 

 party. It was essentially conservative, unwill- 

 ing to advocate new doctrines; these were left 

 to the Whigs, the Free-Soilers and the Re- 

 publicans. After the war, the Democratic was 

 a minority party; it had to march to the -at- 

 tack, and in consequence it gradually became 

 more progressive, while the Republican party 

 in its doctrines was more inclined to conserva- 

 tism. Contrary to the known fact that the 

 responsibilities of office make for conserva- 

 tism, the progressive tendency of the Demo- 

 cratic party became more strongly marked 

 after its return to power in 1913. This condi- 

 tion was generally attributed to the lesson 

 taught by the 'formation of the Progressive 

 party in 1912. The Democratic leaders realized 



the forward-looking tendency of the times, 

 and set their course accordingly. See, also, 

 POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE UNITED STATES; 

 UNITED STATES, subtitle History. E.D.F. 



Consult Johnston's American Politics; Wood- 

 burn's Political Parties and Party Problems in 

 the United States. 



DEMONOLOGY, demon ol'oji, the belief in 

 the existence of demons, commonly in the 

 sense -of evil spirits. The belief was elab- 

 orated in medieval times and led to such 

 legends as those of Faust and the Witches' 

 Sabbath. Its discussion is pertinent to the 

 consideration of witchcraft (which see). See 

 FAUST. 



Relating to Various Beliefs. The articles on 



the following topics, while not bearing on de- 



monology, are of interest in this connection. 



Alchemy Palmistry 



Astrology Phrenology 



Clairvoyance Physiognomy 



Conjuring Psychical Research 



Divination Psycho-Analysis 



Faith-Cure Spiritualism 



Hypnotism Subconscious 



Magic Suggestion 



Medium Superstition 



Mesmerism Telepathy 



Mind-Reading . Theosophy 



Necromancy Trance 



Occult Witchcraft 



DEMOSTHENES, demos' the neez (about 

 383-322 B.C.), not only the most eloquent ora- 

 tor of antiquity but possibly of all time, and 

 one of the no- 

 blest characters 

 in Greek history. 

 He was born in 

 Attica, the son of 

 a wealthy manu- 

 facturer who left 

 his property and 

 his children to 

 the care of three 

 guardians who 

 proved unworthy 

 of the trust. 

 When Demos- 

 thenes came of 

 age he argued 

 and won his first 

 case in the law 

 courts, a suit 



DEMOSTHENES 

 From a bust in the Vatican, 

 Rome. 



against the dis- 

 honest guardians. 

 This and other 

 successes made him resolve to enter public 

 life, and to that end he mastered Greek law and 

 politics and the art of oratory. Laboring under 



