Shreveport semi-weekly news. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-10-17
Rise and Fall OF Parties.


Political parties are now anoma-
lous institutions. They weaken in
prosperity. strengthen in adversely,
and are always either advancing or
r-trograding-never stationary. The
history Of parties in this country
shows that none have ever long with
stood the trying ordeal of success.
They have labor-d arduously to reach
the goal of political emincnce, and
having gained it. all have in turn
allowed the prize to escape them
winning the race by labor, and losing
, i, by Incidence. 1t is not difficult,
however, TO account for this sinSu-
lariiy in our national politics, and
the key to it is found in what an EN-
in-nt statesman of the preceding
generation called the cohesive pow
..r of public plumber" 1t is some
WI hat hulniliating admission. but new
crtheleas truthful, that the principles
upon which parties are supposed to
h- founded in this country are not
the primary strata. The desir. to
manage the government patronage
and disburse the public money is at
the bottom of all party aims. and is
to the political foundation what tn.
rough stones ar. to the material
structure-the real basis, but not in
tended for public observation. This
being the leading aim. it i not so
itiicult to understand why political
organizations start upon the down
ward grade almost ar soon a they
reach tie summit of their ambition.
When the patronage Of the govern
men, ha. been secured, every politi-
clan expects n shar. of the spoi-. rs
a recomp-nse for his services in Sc
curing party success. But all can
not be thus accommodated many
are disappointed; and of tn. latter
class, -ten,hs believe themselves
the victims of gross injustice, and
ar. ready to fly from their party at
the least prospect of success outside.
So it is. that while the "cohr~ion of
public plumber strengthens, inviGo-
rates, and con. oli!ai,, a party pros
p.ctiv-ly. it wrakcns and democrat
ICES i, when tn. end has been attained
success being Only the forerunner
of ruin. Every party that has ever
attained power in this country fur
ni>hes an illustration of this view.
he democratic party has repeatedly
struggle up to the summit of polti
cal Influence after years of patient
and persistent labor; but the spoil-
of Office invariably proved Il dissolv-
ing element, the party strength soon
began To wanr. defeat eventually fol-
lowed, and the toil-onc ascent had 10
be- recommended. The opposition
party, with the present designation
OF republican. has had even Il more
evem,tul experience. Its struggle for
supremacy has generally been after
d,.d with greater disadvantages than
have characterized its opponent, and
the result has in every ca~. shown
the completeness of it, disruption TO
be. proportionat- to the effort en-
ployed to achieve success. In near
reached the goal Of power, the re-
action has been 50 great. the diSr1Ip-
tion so .ii,.ctual, that complete chaos
has followed, leaving not even the
name of the Organization abov" the
surface. The party has in this way
passed through - -c"r" Of tram>t"r'na-
ti"ns--a new party phnnix rising
from the ashes of the "ld-and now.
1T the end Of these vari pu- mutations,
W" have the republican party. which
has been longer in the ascendant
than any of its predecessors. Does
til. ohservaut reader need to be i"iI
that the worm Of public plumber
has gMawed away the vital element
in the republican party Does IT
rrJuir. demonstration t" prove that
it Is vrrSluS upon disruption, and
that the fate Of it, father, will be its
fate If there is any 80 blind, let
him look at the ~raugle now going
on in the party on thu question OF
negro suffrage. Let him compare
til. resolutions of the late republican
convention in Ohio with those passed
in Maine only few days ago; let
him look at the position ut Masoa-
clu,vttS. th, attitude of the radicals
cveryw where. their unmistak able OPP
position To the Observation-Disclosures
AT these circumstances and their ro-
litical bearing, and through it all
will be seen, as plainly as the noon
day sun, the disintegratIOu and down
fall of the republican party.-IN. \.
sun.
Nine Lrrcyt'S BooE-A New York