Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-05-07

THE USE OF PARTIEs.-We have long thought
that political parties should promote the public
cood-the cause of truth, justice and morality,
and that when they ceased to do so they are
not worth keeping up. The contest at the polls
should never be permitted to degenerate into
mere struggle for office. Principles alone are
worth contending for, and the election of per-
sons to stations of honor or profit should be
made the secondary and not the primary object
Of the canvass. 1t is gratifying to share the
patronage of government, and to sec your
friends in office, but such things cannot COM
pensate for sacrifice or suppression OF princi-
ple. The Democrats carried the election last
fall, the Legislature has met and adjourned,
and we should like to know in what respect the
great mass of the people, particularly the tenn
pcrance men who voted that ticket, are benefit
ted 2 The honor is an empty nothing, the char
acter of the legislation everything. With the
exception of tho 'sAct regulating the sale OF
liquor" and that prohibiting the banks Issuing
notes of less denomination than So, we pre-
sumo there would have been no material dite-
renee, if the Americans had been in the ascen-
dancy. That they wouldnot have passed these
is certain. Unless these acts were desired, we
should like to hear the reason given that Dem
Ocrats could not have consistently voted for
Americans 2 Wherein do the two parties differ
in State policy, save in these two questions 2
Those who see the distinction, should point it
out. The struggle then was for Office, or Tor
rum, q great crop of drunkenness, and no bank
notes undes five dollars. Those who got the
Offices may be satisfied those who want to sell
and drink rum to excess, may be satisfied; those
that want to do away with small notes may be
satisfied but how those who did not get the
offices, nor donot want to sell or drink rum, can
be satisfied, we cannot understand They must
be deeply mortified, or their protested love of
morality and sobriety is mere sham, a vile
trick, a base cheat. We respect an honest OPP
ponent, but the mean, snealiing hypocrite has
our hearty contempt. In conclusion we will OBJ
serve that the wsest plan is to hold on to that
which is good. A party will succeed in the
end organized on correct principles, as the bet
ter portion of the community will be attracted
to it. An open avowal of principle will prevent
embarrassment, will prevent triciery, deception
or imposition. 10 adont n non con,,nittoI rourae
is to render party useless, powerless Tor good
1t is to place it where tho old Wing and demo.
cratic party stood, directly in the way o reform.
Neither of them would legislate GU certain
,,,,aa.i.,,,, a., I'm, 90 ,i.,;,s ,n.,, ~,
4ues''0"S iot i'"r Vi giN'"s on'ne'' "''" we
must say that we therefore looked upon the
rise and progress of the American party with
n diagram of ,atisf,ction W., bcli.yad II ,,orIl
- 49,, 49,,
orlhg together inc oetter men IN inc commune
ty and would result in triumph of morality
and sobriety. 1t did this, in the first instance,
,,,
able to the treachery of protested friends of tenn
ne,anc. cb,rgao,Ie IA ,,o,,bor, oc ,t,,,o,,n,
P"I' N""' ee""'o " '"o'''o''' VI o'i"'e"e'
sacrificing every obligation to party. This is
fact, and il they have easy consciences, il is
because thev do mt tnllv reoIi2o tbo;, r,sno,.
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