REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT CLAIMS TO ORIGIN ARE BOGUS

As the Taxpayers League representative in the Water Forum, and as a Trustee in the Auburn Dam Council, along with being an elected Director of the new Sacramento Suburban Water District, I have an abiding interest in all things related to water, a fugitive mineral in geological terms. When fairly quiescent water is essential to all life forms, and when in the wild state, can become a devastating force. When working issues involving wild water, mandatory reading for anyone involved with flood control in the Sacramento Valley is *Battling the Inland Sea* by Robert Kelly. Woven into the flood history of the valley is a fascinating description of the political decisions made on flood control by elected officials over time. Kelly*s political discourse, coupled with my knowledge of the parties* histories, made me recognize that although Republicans contend they are the party of Lincoln, and Democrats contend they are the party of Jefferson, this may not be accurate. Were Lincoln and Jefferson alive today, Lincoln might be a registered Democrat and Jefferson a registered Republican.

Consider the beginning of both Parties. Supporters of Jefferson and Andrew Jackson in the 1830*s considered themselves Democrats, agreeing with Jefferson who said: *If we must have Government, let us keep it small and right under our own eyes so we may keep it disciplined.* They believed a strong government was the greatest threat to liberty that Americans faced, and that special economic privileges, along with financial and taxing advantages, would enabled the government to exploit the people. They worried about monopolies that government creates, and thus did not support publicly funded improvements such as roads, canals, and harbors as unfair measures that took money from all to benefit the few. They believed in the axiom: *Let everyone solve their problems on their own without government provided aids or special privileges.* They believed Americans should be free to live their private lives and that no one should try to use government to deny a citizen personal liberty. Cultural and economic laissez-faire, they insisted, had to be in all fundamental public policy. To insure this, the government was to be kept small, localized, cheap and inactive. These premises are virtually the philosophical base of today*s Republican party.

Democrats opposed the Whig Party and those supporting Alexander Hamilton and Henry Clay, believers in active government and economic development. Together they insisted government should aid in opening the continent*s resources and establishing a climate for investment and risk-taking. Also, they believed government must have an economic and moral plan. They believed government was not a collection of isolated individuals, but rather a corporate body in which public enterprises must be the unifying theme. In the 1850*s the slavery issue divided the Democratic Party, North vs. South. In 1854 the Whig Party, combined with anti-slavery people, was reborn as the Republican Party, drawing into its ranks thousands of Democrats. Republican ideals began to prevail. Nationally, they supported protective tariffs, subsidized internal improvements (transcontinental railroads), land grant universities, national banks and currency, and energetic government.

In 1859 Democrats divided and voted for two different presidential candidates. Consequently, the Republican Abraham Lincoln won. And, in1860 the Civil War began.

In 1865 there was a clash within the Republican Party between former Whigs and former Democrats because of racism. Former Democrats flared up when former Whig Republicans led a crusade to give the vote to black people and former slaves to insure civil rights. This made Republicans unpopular, identified as being liberal in minority policy. The Democratic Party, on the other hand, were openly and unabashedly racist, condemning Republicans endlessly.

After the war, Republican strength grew, They created a more civilized, educated, sophisticated and industrial society. Centerpiece was creation of science and technology centered private and public (land grant) Universities that became the source of liberal Republicans. These became the trained core of the middle-class that built the product oriented economy through 1920. Republican influence contributed to government growth, and advances in literature, the arts, and economy. Theodore Roosevelt expanded and strengthened the government creating the Bureau of Efficiency, Bureau of Planning and Statistics, Bureau of the Budget, and General Accounting Office. Along with building of the Panama Canal, he established the national park system and federal irrigation projects.

In 1930, the political transformation began as Democrats became modernizers in cultural terms, stressing individual choice, social equality, secularism and tolerance, while Republicans began to stress entrepreneurial and economic development. And as the transformation moved further into the 20th Century, the reversal of the two Parties policies intensified.

The Democrats Wilson and Roosevelt learned how useful government could be in the regulation of business interests and in bringing social welfare into American life, to moderate its free enterprise austerity and minister the needs of the unfortunate and helpless. Afro-Americans, former supporters of the Republican Party, were lost to the Democrats during Roosevelt*s creation of the New Deal. Meanwhile, Republicans recoiled from the mode of strong government and adopted the Democratic cry of laissez-faire and individuality.

As Republican appetite for governing in the public interest was stripped out of the Republican Party, university professors shifted to the Democratic side taking with them the idea of using government to plan the nation*s growth and development.

And today? Republicans oppose expanding government and concentrating the wealth of the nation in government hands for redistribution. They support the free enterprise capability of the business community and its stimulation. And they expect individuals to demonstrate responsibility in their behavior. Democrats now strive to increase the size of government and redistribution of the nation*s wealth. They look on business through Jeffersonian lenses, developing wariness of large capital economic development. They find their statement in the environmental movement, and talk endlessly of equality while using diversity to market their programs. They have become home of diverse groups and supporters of quotas for sociological benefits. And now they appear to have abandoned any pretense of a moral code when viewing private behavior.

Judge for yourselves how confused the founders of the two Parties would be in trying to identify themselves as Republican or Democrat. History implies that the roles have totally reversed.

Joe Sullivan, Executive Director