The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-14


preaching Presidential contest, whatever the
shaps which this contest itself may as
sume-there must come after il, we
say-a reorganization Of our political par.
ties. In 1854, when the old pro-slavery
! democratic party had pushed its demands for
slavery beyond the last point of Northern for
bearance, the republican party, from little
public meeting at Pittsburg, came to the front
on the platform of "no further extension Of
slavery" The country was ripe for it, and
behold the mighty revolution which since that
day this republican party has achieved But
its appointed mission on the slavery question
and the negro question is fulfilled Its COM
plete success, too, after fighting it step by
step, from the repeal of the Fugitive Slave law
to the oonsummation of the fifteenth amend
ment, is now admitted by the democratic
party; and this democratic surrender brought
both parties necessarily to the point of new
departure.
On the remnants Of the old issues and SOU
venirs of the war, aad on halfway financial
expedients and theories Of reform on both
sides, the republican and the democratic party
may each be able to hold their forces together
substantially through the coming Presidential
campaign through the sheer force of party
discipline and party loyalty. But as the old
temporizing whig party went to pieces and
was dissolved after the election of 1852, and
as the old pro-slavery democratic party went to
pieces after the election Of 1860, 80, we dare
say, the republican and the democratic party, as
now organized, will both begin to go to pieces
after the election of 1872, and from these dis
integrations on both sides it Is quite possible
that the party surpersedng the republican
party in 1876 will be the party representing
the combined aggressive elements of the
labOrlng classes Of the country against
moneyed monopolies and combinations. The
workingmen have the votes, and they need
only discipline, harmony and union, and
common paramount political purpose among
themselves to get possession in the elections
of 1876, If not before, not only of the national
government, but of every State government
In the Union.
That the elements of great revolution are
fermenting In this country no man can sue.
cessfully dispute; that this revolution will
come from a political struggle between CON-
binations of capital and general combination
of labor is broadly foreshadowed in this
labor reform movement, and Is apparent on
every hand The fearful demoralizations and
corruptions of both our great political parties
the greedy, grasping and extor.ionate doings
and demands Of railway combinations, of
stock jobbing and land specializing rings, and
of commercial, huckstering and manufacturing
monopolies, and the general tendency of
things to q gigantic moneyed aristocracy on
The one hand, and to multiplication of
paupers, Migrants and criminals on the other
hand, have created state of feeling among
the laboring classes, at home as well as
abroad, which Is full of danger and mischief
to ''thc powers that be" everywhere
In the closely contested election in New
Hampshire last March this Labor Reform party
welded the balance of power; in the coming
Massachusetts election, should General Butler
be the labor candidate, he may turn the State
topsy-turvy. In this event even the Presi-
Dental election of next year may become q
doubtful problem; but in any event, after
November, 1872 we shall have the beginning
of new political agitation In this country
which will hardly stop short Of the greatest
and most radical and sweeping revolution in
the history Of the world, and we shall be for
tunate if we escape another general civil war
in passing through this approaching revolu-
ton. Such are the signs Of the times, and
we live in an age of revolutions.
The COdo In South America-A Duel
Spoiled.