Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-11-15

vast common misfortune restores men, as 1T
were, to first principles-the demand for
character, not for pledges" Again 1t says,
q In the presence Of great common calamity
like destructive FIRE, or corruption ike
that of Tammany, strict partisan allegiance
is relaxed - and again - Party spirit is In
its nature so Terocious that everything which
ameliorates it, or which illustrates its miti-
cations is a great public gain These are
statements of propositions which are tue ::
and it is the weakness and not the strength OF
popular government that they are only
recognized to be true in these great crises,
while the principle is one that should be
acted upon at all times. This Is not the first
time in the history Of Chicago or New York,
when the best men could serve the city better
than small men or partisan politicians. good
man in Office is better than bad man any
time, and no party ever had a good excuse
for not putting forward fits bestsmen. New
York, however, waited until partisan poll
tics had filed almost every Office il the city
with thieves, and made legislation in the
state only a matter Of bargain and sale, be
fore it could begin the work Of reform by ig-
noring party politics, and Chicago waited
until the best part Of the great city was only
a smoking ruin before Democrat and Repub-
lican alike could make the public good sthe
first consideration in selecting city officers.
This is a melancholy truth, but it is no less
a truth for that; and it would be one of the
greatest blessings to the country, if the les
son could be improved in a wider field than
IN the local elections of these two devastated
cities
( The New York Tribune says
I There il no issue before the country SC
commanding ar the issue between the honest
men and the rogucs and no political cam
raign that can compare in Importance with
I the campaign against corruption People
are no longer agitated about Slavery. Re
construction il settled The rights Of the
negro are practically secured. No respecta-
bic segment of a party longer denies the
sanctity Of the National Debt. No Free
Trader however, crazy, wants the Tariff re-
pealed or largely reduced Just now. Til,
liyest issue Of the hour IS the issue o.
honesty in politics the vital question, Car
we punish the thieves?
The Springfield Republican,, considering
after the New York election whether the
:. new departure in politics, which that
election seems to render possible, is really
possible, says
Can this be DONE Certainly, If we set t
work in the right way, and then keep al
work Wringing our hands in despair Of
II d
not Do it. W hat did Moltka do 'iter Sedan
He moved straight on Paris. He did a,
Grant told Sheridan TO do be pushed thing,
OF course he whipped the enemy. We ear
whip our enemy in the same way. Ii thi-
| affair at New York is a Sedan, the thing lo1
/ us t. do now II to move on Paris. We must
/ push things Press and pulpit and platform
must take on a higher usefulness than they
have Dad hitherto Party must be showed
for some time To come into the background.
Every honest, G1d-learng man must make
/ the performance of even trivial public duties
Il question Of conscience. higher, more
searching test must be applied 10 public acr.
and public men. Public opinion must be
Strengthened out and put IN shape to dis
( charge rightly and effectively is tremendous
/ function An incessant war must he KEEP,
up upon abuses, wherever found. All hands
must fall 70 work to clean out and d.Siniec,
. she national premises. 1t viii be "a long and
a tedious JOB. In fact, there VIII he liter
ally no end To it,-since after ws have once
/ got the establishment into q good and whole
/ some working condition, we shall have tic
( task Of keeping it 80 But unless We can
( bring ourselves 10 undertake the drudgerv-
/ If we choose to think and speak OF it by thi-
name-Of taking care Of our institutions. We
( cannot hope to keep them. More than that,
I we shall NOT deserve "a keen them