The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-12
The Republican Party the Only Hope
for Reform,


The Milwaukee Sentinel, one of the
ablest and most influential Republican
papers of the West, comes to us like a
fresh breeze from the far off praires. It
speaks for the orowding millions of Free
men who hold the destinies OF the nation
in their hands. And it speaks below
strongly and wisely as is fit. We quote
from its last issre thss timely words:
OF late in certain quarters we hear not
little concerning certain "Reforms," as If the
Republican party was antagonistic to them,
and hence that their advocates must work with
some other party. A moments examination,
however, will show conclusivey that this cry
comes mainly, not only from those desiring the
defeat OF the Republican party, but from those
working for the success of a party always Bit
terly hostile to all reforms.
There are now, and can be before another
Presidential election, but two great parties in
| this country, and without the Intervention OF
some unknown power, the next administration
must be either Republican or Democratic, in
| the present political significance of these party
| terms. Now can any sane man, believing in
| the necessity of reform, whether in the civil
service, or the revenue, or whatever other de-
| partmenf oil the government, believe for mo-
ment that the prospect of the needed change
| will be better under Democratic than a Re-
| publican administration
1s not the Democratic party of to-day, true
| to its traditional policy. the sworn enemy to
all reform Do not its leaders now, as they
always have, sneer at the very word and idea
Of reform Can there be found single in
stance in its long black history in which the
| Democratic party has originated or adopted
| any reform, even local in its character, unless
driven to it by the direct struggle for life ?
| And has it not invariably proved false to every
| pledge in favor of reform wrung from it by its
perils, and at the first safe moment returned to
its congenial wallowings in the slough of cor
| ruption
| How then can any one have the hardihood
| to claim, or the blindness to believe, that any
reform can ever receive aid and comfort from
| the Democratic party, after it shall have gain
ed victoryY To gather grapes from thorns
and figs from thistles might be deemed law
of nature long before probability could be
| credited that one true reform would be inau-
| gurated or fostered by Democratic rule in this
nation.
| On the other hand, the Republican party is
to-day, as it always has been, party of pro-
| gress. Whenever it has held sway, abuse
after abuse has been removed, reform after
| reform carried out; and, indeed, its whole
| history has been but one triumphant series of
wrongs made right Its very mistakes have
been but the choosing of the less desirable or
| not once has it failed to strive for, according
to the light given, and to achieve, often
through much tribulation, true and glorious
| progress.
Such being the light thrown by the lamp of
the past on the character and tendencies of the
two parties, there is little fear that intelligent
believers in the necessity of reforms in gov.
eminent will directly throw their influence in
favor of the Democratic party. But impa-
thence at slow progress, or disappointment at
the failure of particular measures, may induce
some to look about for the appearance of
new party especially devoted to their own
| class of ideas. Such men, being honest and
sincere in their adherence to principles, be-
| lieve others equally true in their loud COM
| mendation of independence of party ties and
devotion to the right, but fail to see that the
Democracy have nothing to lose by this, for
| the true friends of reform are not in their
ranks, but are Republicans. Hence every man
who allows himself to be persuaded through
| zeal for any reform to ignore his party ale
| glance, Is sure to at least substract himself
from the only party through which be might
succeed. If ever the Republican party is
beaten, ii will be by its too Jealous friends of
special reforms, who will allow themselves to
be blinded by their impotence, and to with
draw for deceitful promises Of speedy success,
and will thus doom themselves and the party
| OF progress to sad and needless defeat.