The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-01-07

| The proposition to run a presidential no.
party candidate withou, platform, with the
expectation that he will be elected, must rest
on the assumption that his popularity viii be
sufficient to draw from both political parties
| a greater number of votes than is possessed
! by either Of them.
A candidate run by party, whether plac-
ed on a platform or not, is committed to the
| record and policy of that party. unless the
party adopts a platform repudiating the po-
| sition and principles it has hitherto main
| tanned. Should the democratic or republic
an party nominate a candidate without pledg-
| ing him to the support of any political prin-
ciples or any declared policy, the SUPPOSE
| ton would be, that his politicallife, if he had
been a politician or statesman, was accept
ed as a guarantee of what would be his
course in the Office for which he was propos-
ed. IT he had no political record, or if it
was so contradictory and inconsistent as to
leave the most acute student in doubt of
what his views were on the most prominent
national questions agitating the country, the
commou,sense supposition would be, that
| the party nominating him was willing to run
the risk of the sacrifice of its principles TO
obtain an available candidate This
would be simply political prostitution, and
| but slightly less disgracsful to the nominee
who would avail himself of it to attain pow
er than those who thus degraded themselves
to procure him as their leader
In accepting a nomination under such
circumstances, he would give, by impliea.
ton, pledge that the principles and policy
of the party nominating him were more in
! harmony with his own than those of his op-
ponents. He would encourage a beliefthat,
If he disagreed with it at all, the disagree
ment was not a substantial one. In case of
election, he could not oppose it in relation to
important issues on which it had made
record at the time Of his nomination, with
out treachery.
Such thing as no-party president never
has been in the United States, and there is
no prospect that there will be one. Our sys-
tenn of government is such that political par
ties are a necessity, an ] the chief magistrate
of the nation is compelled to act with one of
them. Both parties disclaim that President
johnson is of their mum Der; but his conflict
with the republicans --or, rather, theirs with
him-leaves him no alternative but to seek
the assistance of the democrats, and, so far
as they could consistently do so, that assist
once has been cheerfnlly rendered. Wheth-
er they have been governed by policy or pa
riotism in promoting dissention in the re-
publican ranks, it is needless here to in.
guire.
There is movement now in progress to
nominate General Grant for the presidency,
through the organization of Grant clubs,
composed of men of both parties. Let us
suppose that the movement will eliminate
III his election, and that he will be installed
as president, having maintained the charac-
ter of dummy which now seems 50 congenial
IN hIf In nd e. 4
not, as president, ally himself to the party in
the majority in congress ? The disastrous
consequences of antagonism between the ex-
eeutive aud legislative branches of the gov
eminent are manifest in the misrule, disor,
der, and corruption now prevailing in all
ofheial management in the country What
assurance has democrat who Joins Grant
club that the general is not radical? What
assurance has a radical that Grant is not q
democrat? What assurance has conserya-
tive that the general is of that party Should
he be elected untrammeled by pledges TO
any party, how can he act Independently of
party
The next president of the United States,
however unwilling he may be to do SO. must
take an unequvocal POSITION for or against
the organizations called state governments
which the negroes and radicals are now
forming IN the southern states. IF he shall
decide for them, he viii identify himself with
the radical party, because that party has
made this question paramount to all Others
The next president of the United States
must also positively decide upon the finan.
clai questions now before the country and
PRESSING for a decision One of these cues
tions, and the one of greatest importance,
admits of no compromise. There is no half
way house between the payment of govern
ment Indebtedness in coin or treasury notes,
and the same is true of the abolition or con.
tlnuance OF the national banks.
The men who are joining Grant clubs
should know, what they want done about
these questions, and should know what their
present political dummy viii do shout them.
Because ne has seemingly no political opin.
ions, are they equally destitute of them /? Tn
their game of thimble-rig, do they diacard all
convictions concerning national issues? In
taking Grant without declaration Of What
policy, be Will pursue, do they propose to
sustain him should he act directly contrary
to their ideas Of right and policy? Is it a
fact that they think as Grant thinks. without
knowing what he thinks2 How do thew
know he thinks anything about subjects on
which he persistently maintains silence?-
Chicago Sunday Times.