The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-11-29
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Ee 3altimose ySamwsN says:

l.. A'aAshllnitps0t totTs''ss"ett hayeS -
The sgsssas the ,tsAPotaiy oombi-
nation OF Dem6oTats and Liberal Repub-
leaps {n Nisaodr5 c61plsd with the fact
that some Of the newly y-eleoted members
OF Congress from the West who we're
elected upon che Republican ticket, stand
| conIessedly upon the same ,platform of
revenue reform with Democrats, appears
to have revived the newspaper Bpeoula-
tions OF Last winter in regard to The for
nation OF new party. That the isat1es
connected with the civil war. the institu-
ton Of slayery, and the policy OF recon-
| struction are obsolete, no one will deny.
That out OF future political complications
new issues will arise and eventually lead
to the formation of new parties is equally
plain. But what is not SO clear. is,. that
1t is in the power Of any individuals or
set OF politicians to determine before
hand what those parties shall be, or what
shall be the precise line of demarcation.
Persons who talk about the feasibility of
organizing new party by collecting to-
heretofore acted and voted in Opposition
to each other, but who happen to agree
upon one OF the cardinal questions Of the
hour, forget that the existence of parties
is matter Of growth and development.
Parties cannot be manufactured to order
or put together by species of political
Jolners work, by q union Of materials
supposed to be adapted to the purpose.
The elements must ooslesee OF them
selves. The division in public sentiment
must have actually taken place, and the
masses OF the people have insensibly
ranged themselves on one side and the
other of the dividing line, before the po-
liticians come with their committees and
| m
the party that is already formed, aud
those who are already animated By o
common desire and q common sentiment.
The other plan is to reverse the .natural
order of things. The platform should
follow, not precede, the formation of the
party.
Another objection to the prospectus of
the proposed new party, If it has been
correctly reported. is that it furnishes
rather too narrow foundation on which
to rest permanent or powerful political
OF ganization. The necessity of revenue
reform, we are glad to see, is being ge-
nerally acknowledged, and the move
ment in favor of such reform promises
to be popular, and we trust will prove
beneficlal. But revenue reform, like
labor reforms, or like temperance, pre-
are in perfect accord on that one, point
may differ widely upon other points not
less important in the politics OF the
country. It does not involve any ,prin-
ciplo or set of principles of sufficiently
general application to constitute the sum
of any mans political confession of faith
or rule of political conduct; nay, wa may
go further, and say that in our judgment
revenue reform ought not to be made a
political question at all. It should never
be suffered to become a party issue, be.
cause all parties should be in favor of it.
Like the purity of elections, honesty in
the administration Of justice, or the re-
form of the civil service departments of
the Government, it should be the aim of
whatever party happens to be in power
and has an opportunity to apply the
needed remedy to abuses of which no
party should be willing to assume the
odium and responsibility. In its strict
application to the snbject of the tariff.
revenue reform ought to be the fixed and
staple policy of the Government under
al administrations. ~
10 contne the expenses of the Govern
ment within the narrcwest compass, and
to levy no more taxes than are required
to meet those expenses, is the duty Of all
parties. A tariff for purposes of reve-
nue., if not essential to the existence of
the Government, will always be found in
this country the cheapest and most avail.
able means of raising The amount of rev.
enue ordinarily required. Consequently,
in the discussion Of the tariff question,
the crotchets and theories of free traders
and protectionists are equally out of
place. but to prevent the tariff from
being perverted from it's only proper and
legitimate purpose of supplying the ne
cessary revenue for carrying on the Go
vernment, into an instrument, in the
hands of the monopolists for the purpose
of taxing the millions of consumers for
the benefit of few wealthy producers
under the hollow pretext of protection,
that is the aim of revenue reform. In
stead, therefore, of seeing this made the
nucleus of O new political organization,
we hope to see the subject kept out of
the domain of mere party politics alto
gether. Instead of furnishing new
party cry, No nope 90 sea :tsa cause OF
revenue reform enlisting the sympathies
and receiving the support of the good
men of both parties. By being made q
party question it will lose moro support