The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-05
THE PARTIES.


From Hayper's Weekly.
Those who speculate upon the formation of
q new party, or gravely propose it, seem to
suppose that great party is organized as a
corporation is chartered But that does not
seem to as to be the way in which party
arises. In our own history party divisions
began during the administration of Washiog-
ton, and the Federal and the National Repub-
lican parties continued until the former dis
appeared, leaving in the Monroe era of good
feeling, no immediate successor. The next
great party division was that of the Wings
and the Democrats 1t turned philosophi-
cally upon the question of the functions of
government, and practically upon the just
and constitutional policy in regard to internal
improvements, national bank. tariffs
etc. The Wings contended for liberal, fos-
tering, protecting, and developing Govern
ment The Democrats declared that it was
by the enterprise of the people, and not by
the action of the Government, that the ends
sought were to be obtained. But gradually
the increase of slavery, and the development
by machinery of the products Of slave labor
made slavery the controlling element in poll
tics. The intensity of the moral agitation of
the subject, with the fanaticism of the slave
interest, which used the Government for its
own purposes, and absolutely denomlnated
the Democratic party. with which it allied
itself, and, upon the other hand, the economic
sagacity which perceived the material im-
policy of slavery, all concentrated political
interest upon the subject.
The Democratic party made an abIect al
lance with slavery. Its policy proceeded en-
tlrely from the slave leaders, and their pur-
pose was made evident-had it been doubted
by the repeal of the Missouri Compromise.
The Wing party, unwilling to take any po-
sition upon the one absorbing and para
mount question of the time, was virtually
of,,l ;Y,1 fha rfu Iiyiui
of Republicans and Democrats appeared,
which still continues. But does it seem to
any one who speaks of a new party that the
organization which to-day controls the ad-
ministratiop, and holds a great ma ority of
the tates, and which at the intermediate
election, when every administration party
is weakest, has carried forty or fifty majority
in Congress, is in the condition of the
Federal party or the Whig party when they
were superseded? The war of 1912 finally
destroyed the Federal party, and the slavery
question, which was supreme, and which it
evaded, destroyed the Whig party in 1852.
What issue is there to-day so overshadowing
and absorbing that it will probably and pro-
perly overthrow the Republican party If
| the Republican revenue reformers, as we
have said, should desert in a body to the
Democratic party, they might do a great
deal of mischief. But they will not do it.
| That reform is. an important questions; but
in the first place it is not paramount to all
others, and in the second, if it were, it is by
no means evident that the reform is more
practicable under Democratic ascendency.
There will be no new party until there is a
! general feeling that the policy which is essen
tial for the national welfare is more probable
with Democratic than a Republican admi-
nistration. And that feeling does not exist.
Those who hope for reform of the civil SER
vice, for revenue reform, for wise foreign
| policy, for maintenance of the settlements
of the Union, for honest and economical ad-
ministratiop, and for reform of electoral COR
ruption do not expect them from the Demo-
cratic party. But they do expect them from
the Republican party, and they expect them
because they are harmonious with
| the principles, the spirit, and the
composition of that party. Some Republi-
cans will, of course, leave the party. Mr..
| Gratz Brown, of Missouri, who has been a
| faithful Republican hitherto, designs, if we
read his late serenade speech correctly, to act
with the Democratic party hereafter. But
! Senator Schurz, his cosdjutor in the late
election, has expressed no such intention.
Mr.. Brown sees that he has brought the
Democratic party into power in his State,
and he naturally wishes to make the best of
the situation. But Mr.. Schurz declines TO
believe that there are not great national issues
| upon which he must be Republican. There
also, and strong party for the civil service
reform, but they act within and not without
the Republican lines.
The Chicago Tribune, therefore, seems to
us mistaken in supposing that there can be
"a reconstruction and reorganization of par
| ties"-in other words, new party; and when
it speaks, among others, of MIR. Garrison,
Mr.. Beecher, MIR. Schurz, aud Mr.. Sumnec
as favoring such an attempt, we are very
sure that it is mistaken. Mr.. Schurz and Mr..
Sumner at least, have distinctly denied SYM
pathy with any effort to destroy the RepuS-
hcsn party. Upon some questions they differ
with the President, but they do not allow
their disappIoval of certain executive
measures to paralyze their fidelity to the
party. The proposal for a new organizs-
ton, under the circumstances, is, there
fore, a declaration in favor of Democratic
ascendency. That party is certainly very
unlikely to commit hari-kari if it should see
its opponent engaged in that operation. H.
deed, it is already inviting the Chicago
Tribune and Mr.. Schurz to walk into its
parlor 1t announces that the revenue re-
formers belong with the Democracy, not
that Democratic revenue reformers will
secede and join q new organization. And
when the Chicago Tribune speaks of revenue
reform and civil service reform as objects
equally desirable, it would be interesting to
know how lively hope it has Of reform of
, the civil service from the Democracy.
In the present situation of the country,
, when the Republican party is neither dis
banding nor likely to disband, the Republi.
can who asks whether a new party is not de.
sirable, merely asks whether it is desirable
that the Democratic party should be success
fnl II indeed the Marty had gone to pioceS