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An Impartial View

An Impartial View image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
October
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

[From an Artiolo by Cbarlog Francis Adams! .Ir.' iii tlio ïlpttb Amcrtala HeïiotM Jüat uofore the Krat ineetinga intondod to lave a hearing on tlio preeidential nominationa or the campaigu now going on woro held, Mr. W. M. Evarta one day romarked to Cari Schurz hut the Republican party in its theu condition rcmiiulcd bim of uothing o rauch as an nrmy whoae term of enlintment had expired. Mr. ivarts i ;iu8tly fhmed for the witty and intíwive way In tfhifih lie expreesés what otllur jeöple tblnk, büthelllÁMiotUñeflUi tljh giqd 'ortmie to Uit oiV a happier Mimle tlian thia. ït ncluded in ten wards a phamphlbtful of political inBÏght, and accouuted at once for that largo ainount of individual action which ia auch an easential feature in tlie preaent canvaas. The ield ia full of atragglera. Bo f ar fci the momotou"! politioal issnea of twouty yeal'd ago are coneerned, littie rcim&iua orer whic'a to atruggle. During the preaent canvasa-iaaues, eido iSHiicu and uficr swiich will, indeed, be manufacturod out of it ; aometimos by very honeat and very dull men who, having onoe loarncd to talk on a certain aabjoct, have do faculty of apeech on any other, and aomotioiee by very cnnning and unsorupuloua men, who will work on the old passioDB and the old hatreda as long aa they Can ponsibly hope to get thcmselveB into office, or to keep thomeelves there by ao doing. In all tHis, hov.bver tfiero ld Bomothing cvcry nmuviting and even refluisive to inon wbo look upon politica as anvtliing more than an occupation, aud upon oñiceholditig hm anything moro than a nieanH of support. The coutinued dwelling upon the last phaees of a stalo oxciteinent íh nelther a philosophical nor an ennobling pursuit. It íh smail mattbr for wonder, therefore, that the number of tlioao wbo act iudependently of all party afnliationaisoontinuallYincreaaing, The wonder rather ia that the majority etill dling to these rute. iviiAt ahe +he iftauEa ov the cawmkin? In eonaidering the queetious of the day it in well in tho firtit placo to try to get a perfectly cloar pe;ceptionof the iaauoa iuvolved in the catnpaign. Tbat he may do tbis it ia abaolutely necessary for an intelligent btiuK to close his oai-fl to the diacuasidn jecoraüy carfied on. In tint, word eupply to au altogetber iuordinate degroo the placo of ideas. Of the tbree elements, therefore, in which every campiign discuesion may ba decompoaed- rubbish, formalitiea and essence - it ia horo proposod to devote very few worde eiept to tho laat. Under the bead of oampaign rubbish may. in the proo'nt aso, safeJy 1)3 claaaed all the raihbiing (lisËusaion Öf the war records of theaovoral candidates, aud thsir opiniona prior to the rebelliou or the Moxicau wav ; aleo tho charges and couuterchargea made as to their trausactions in mulos, their ateahng railroads, plundering widows and orphans, "dodging" taxes, issuing " tihinpïastor ' currency, the numbor of watches tbey own, and the date at which thoy may have purchased pianos. Peraonally all the candidatos aro rospectable gentlemen. They have paseed theiï Uves before tne commuuitieB in whiöb. thtL lived, and been honörcd and truated. Ast o the riows they may havo entortained twenty yeare ago, it 8 to be remembered tho war of the robelliou closed in the year 1865. The issues at stake between the years 1848 and 18C0 aro now jutt as much settled beyond the peradventure of reversal as those iuvolved in the war of 1812 or the Ecvolntion. The recorda of Qov. Hayes and Gov. Tilden anterior to UC1 have, therefore, eentimeut apart, j nat bout bh muoh hearing on the living issues of thia campaign as their opinión oa the Hartford ConVention or the Darwinian theory of evolution. No oue can deny that the masa of trasb and rubbieh of thia description - conatituting, as it does, nlne-tentha of the campaign literatura - haa its intiuenco. Uiihappily, mud-flingiug ia toa very large class of mankind one of the moat enjoyable features of every eau vaas ; and, aa there are eaid to be tierman counties in Pennsylvania wbere votes are regularly at each election cast for Gen. Jackaon, ao a not inaonsidcrable portion of the coiunmuity doea, and for the itext five yeara will, measure every candidate, not byhis acts of the day, but by what he aaid and thought in Í860, or did or did not do diiring the rebellion. There are three great phases into which all politica! movement resolvea itself- the revelutionary, the constructivo, nd the ad minie trative ; and these three alao neoessarily eucceed each other in the order .in which they have Deen named. Within the laat sixtcen years it ia apparent that tbia country haa paaved tbrough two, and the more mnm'en tornt two, of these phaaes, and ia now entering üpon the third. The period between 1861 and 1865 waa one of unquestioned revolutkm; that since 18G5 bas been one of conetruction, which, well or ill done, will be comploted as aoon as South Carolina and Louiaiana are pormitted to roteb tho position of reet toward wbich they are irrosiatably tending. That time cannot long be deferred. THE ADVANTAOE OF TUE DEBIOCBATS. It is hardly better worth wbile to waste tune oyer erapty political formalities than over unadulterated rnbbish. Paasiog en, then, to the essence of the campaign, the candidates are first to be coneidored. In thls respect, unquestionably, the prima facie advantage is with tho Demócrata. If thore is one thiug wholly opposed to tbo spirit of our inatitutions and the earlier and better nsagea of the country, it ia the political trick of nominating unknown and uutriod men, on the ground tbat, beiug unknown and untried, they have no ''record" todefond. Every voter ia thus left free to imagino what he pieaees, and, of courae, onine ignolum, etc. In euch a matter aa tbis it is beat, perhaps, to try to eee ourselves as we would see others, and as othora must see us. As practical men, priding ourselves on our capacity for self-government, what would we Americana aay if we saw, foi instance, the Liberal party of England, on a defeat of the DUraeli ministry and a di.-olutlon of Parliament, select as their candidato for Premier, not Gladstone, not Forster, nol any wdl-lmown or exporienoed leader, but nonio unknown, untried Lor 1 Lieutcnantol Canada, who had been a Colonel in tbo Sepoy insurrection, and a silent member during one short Parliament 't In the daya of Washington and Jefforson aud Madison wo ahould havo smUed, not witfiont juat pride, aud remarked that Republicana though we wcre we at leasl did not make a faice of our Cïovernmont. Yeï this ie exactly what was done by the Kepublican party in the case of Gov. Hayea. Of that gentleman all that ia known is to his credit ; ho aeems to havo been a galluut and meritorious offleer during the war ; a faithfu] though nninñuential member of Congreaa after its olose ; and more receutly a respeetable, tuough not brilliiuit. Govornor of Óhio. Since hia nomination the verdict of Uioho most intimately acquainted with him haa been decidedly in hij favor, and they have joined in warmly recommending him for the Preeidency. All thia, however, ill suppliea the place of public servico. To 811 the Preaidential chair witli auccess a mau must have a great deal more than thoao goed purpoaes, fair talents, and high charactcr which erve to make him locally respoctable. He niuat have jadgment, firmnoss, insight, and, above al!, experience in a much more than ordmary dogree ; and that ho has these is only shown by trial. Even the most enthueiastic supporters of Got. Hayca can hardly, as yot, claim that his election wonld bo anytliing' mom than a political experimont. It is therefore diffloolt to aeo why Gov. Hayes doeá not fall within thut class of candidates who were ao well pietured in tho address adopted by tho Fifth Avenue Hotel conference, aa caudidat.es whom independent voters could not nupport ; men 'who, howover favorably idged by their neareat friende, are not publicly known to poeaesa thoee ijualities of mind and charactir which the stern task of genuiue roform reqnires : for the Amoi icau people cannot now afford to risk the future of the Itepubüc in expariments on merely Bupjxjaod virtue or rumored ability, to be trustt d on the strongth of privato recommendations." ' TIIIF.D MEN AND TKUE. The Demócrata, on tho other hand, whatever may bo thought of tho mon, unquoaüonably have put in nomination candidatea both of whom were amoug their moflt prominent party leaders - men with whom and wnoae recorda the whole country was thoroughly familiar. That on certaiu esseutial issues, and eapeeially that of the curroncy, these two leaders wero at variance ia indisputable, but this merely proved that they woro party leaders, nnd all who considered such variance a good ground for refusing to support the ticket had full notice of tho f act, and could shape thoir conree accoi dingly. Good or bad, the candidates were tried men, and the whole country knew how to moaanro them ; the appeal was to facts, not fancy; to the record, notto the imagination. And this is tho otjly sound practico. In bo far, therefore. the Democratie party has in thi campaign approached much more nearly than its oppoueuta to a correct usage; ita record may bo bad othcnviie, but it bas at least nomiaated the most distinguishod reformer in its ranke. A thorough and correct appreciation of circumataucee and an accurate adjustment of niriuis to ciu! ia generally looked upon as a firat CBsonlinl to luunan uccoaa. Don Quixote performed, perbaps, a very gallnnt foat of arma when he rau a tilt with the wind-mill; bnt he carne out of tho touruismont badly damaged none the lc. It is surely to be euppoeed that Gov.H yes '.pjirtoiatea the factthatif lie is tlectcd President of tho United Statca, hiBpoweraaa auch will bo limitod, and bis adminiatrutiou can be savod from lamentable and utter failux'e ouly througli tho hearty aud uuited aupport of arme organizcd party. No President in this couutry can carry on au administration to snit hiinaclt' on sentimental or gucrrillaor Ishinaol" ite principien. Uo bas got to have a party bchmd him. or fall. Not onJy thia. Common sciiHO. aa weli a3 })olitical usage aud party oourtofty, ftlwaya diototoa to t!io l'rcriident oiect who are to bc Ui oonfidenUal advisuj and whom he uan lojk t;i for effeotlve tmpport. ThcHO are, in the first plaoe, hiu conopetitors in the nomiuat.iDg conveution j ! and, in the Becond place, thoHo who brought i about this nomination and fmbaequont cJoction. Not only doos this uxage oxist in our pohtical BThtem, bat it ia a Honnd ono. Through it alone, can a responsible, in place j of a personal, adminiatraiion be securod. i President Graiit, looking ïipon hia Cabinet as a eort of civlc Btsff, ignored the usage, picking ttp hu Itftuis Pf dopartraenU a lio met men iio fancictl In tie cara, at chnufir tabltw. or in the club-rdoms i and tho result beciiöe knoWn as ■'Irwtitim." Lincoln alfaya recogniïed it, hd it èaveH hia üdministèatiön. In the ejirly daya of the repu'Jliè lid írnsidfint tliouulit of disregarding it. In the case of (iov. HaJ-Èsi who are the adviaera thiiM designatod to liim in adyance ? Hi chief compettor in the conven tion waB Mr. Blaino ; hib rivals, who secured his nomination over Secretary Briatow wera JTeusrs. Morton and Conkllng. Senator SherniRu, from Ohio, öret numed him prominently a a candldate í Secrttary Cameron mahipulated the Pennsylvania delegation In hW fHTot at the delöri'O rooinent ; and Secr& tBry Chandler la the iiead of tHe HaUbd I cutive Oommittee whieh is organiziog tne campaign for hia electiou. Under tbeso cirenmataness how is President Hayos to form a Cabinet in sympathy with his views as respecte the civil service 1 i i FiiR qwperrK KKCOBD sound. It is usually aiguea tílat il wi!l no ho safe to trust the Democratie party in oftice, even for the brief term of four yeara, in view of the posaible miBchief it might scoompliah in that time. The deprivation of the blacks of all civil righte, the payment of tl)e rebel war debts, the penaioning of Confedérate officera and soldiers, and numerous other similar viaions of toffor aio Conjiired Pp. With an argument of (his character it is aliilcist huiiilihting to have to deal. Again, the e&stence and struetive power of au organizad opposition, tliia titrio f'orltroljirig thé f-ouftto. Js igfiored, and that, too, by the leaaera of a pitrty wjiicta, iu complete control of the Government in it overy department, through six years out of oiglit. piteouslv claim tbat its utter failure darte; fcll tliiit time to fulliíi any of tu pledges was due to the preaence of a coutemptiblo minoritv. Exporieuco is, however, after all, the beet of guideti, and exporience U nol without Ita lighte on tilia subject. The "ins" alwaya do, and alwavs havo, uiJanlmBusly af errcd, w'.th a fervor which can only spriue from hêart-felt cbnviction, thatt.be incoráing of the "oitta11 wül be sbortly followei by the crack of doom. A good many credüiouS peoj'le, frorrt forcé of habit clnfctíy, can always be relied on, aao, titnorously to accopt tina view of the subject. Two yoars ago it was nervously argued by the party leaders, in the same spirit, that the comitry coiild not bo bp rasli a to elect a Democratie IIoue of Ilepresen'cCtlves ; to .trnstj etc, etc. Yet, loooking over the field, ana judging by the record, no truly independent voter could probably now be fonnd who wonld not admit that the ex'.atence of an oppotjition majority iu one branch of Congress has been, during t'J.e lset Jtéüf, S plece of national good fortiiue ; and, aïSo; that the teförd of tíia. oppositiou body wil), aa a whole, compare tflore tbau favorably with the recorda of either the Republican Senato or the Kepublican executive. THE EM) FOB KEKüllMEKS. The single great end to which all reformer, whatever tlieir private theories may be, muat look ia dietinct enongh : it ia to overeóme the tendency of our politioal system to corruption. All political syatema, no doubt, have some tnudency; greater or leso, toward corrnptioa. The peculiarity of oura la that it moou.and for fitty yoare has moved, in that dlrection with accolerating pace, and it hos now arrr. ei at a point where even the bliudest patriots aee that. unta the evil ia checked, our political sysiem must break down, and some new experiment must be substitnted in its place. The ground, therefore, and tbo ouly gronnd on which all honest men can uuite, and insiat with one voice upon reform, iu that of resistauce to the corruption of our political systein. All these meanurcs of reform, necesaary as thoy are, attack merely the outpoata of corniption. They wonld, if aucceasful, considerably reduce the resouroea of tbe political organizations ; but when it in conaiderod how ili&nite the ramiScationa of theee party supplie aro, a id how extraordinary the skill with which new aources are öoustantly developed it ia ndiculoua to tuppose that these meaaures, oven if adopted to their utmost oxtoiit, would otler any permanent cure for the radical evila of our political syatem. No serious impression can ever bo made on i Ihose evils until thoy are attacked at thoir source ; not until the natiou is ready to go back to the early practico of the Government, aad to restore to the constitutioual organs those powera which have been torn from them by tuo party crganir.ationa for purposes of party aggrandizeinent.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus