St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-04-26
The Republican Party and Reform.

The Republican Party and Reform.
The N0tjoh observes in Il recent ar
ticlc that the Republican party "can
not he turned into IL reform party III the
proper acceptatiun of the term. because
Il very large portion of its members are
not rcfurmcrs. and do not believe in
reform. and did not cutcr it or labor in
it tol the purpose of reform. The sig
niticamrc of this remark depends upon
the SENSE in which the word reform is
used The truth is that the Republican
party wa~ organized ~ Il reform party.
and has effected the greatest reforms in
on history. Not only has it restored
the administration of the national GOV
,runrnt t" the principles upon which
it was founded. the principles of liberty
and Justice. from which it had been
under long Democratic Hscrmdrncy.
wholly perverted. bat il is the only par
" which has ever seriously suggested a
reform of the radical evil of the methods
of administration known ;tS the system
of party patronage. That reform is Ger
tTiHly not completed. non will it he for
Il long time. But il has been proposed
and ii will lee attempted 10y Il Rrpuhli-
can Administration. If. however. the
word lee meant to describe. not the
Fundamental reform of principle which
the Republican party has accomplished.
but certain specific mr.i>iIrc> known aS
'.lriuim~. such as revenue reform. civ il
Wee reform. etc. then the political
situation offers this practical question.
l. the probability of such reforms greater
vii, the Republican organization. on
with Il new party CONFUSED chiefly of
Democrats
The character and tendency of Il new
party will. of c"uI>r. he determined 10y
the prcp"udcratiu% element. The Re
publican patty WAS composed chiefly of
.ld Wings. with body of amti->laNcry
Democrats. But the Wing party had
gone To pieces upon the slavery queS-
tion. for il contained the political anti
slavery element. and that element di-
rcctrd the policy of the new party.
Now does the Democratic party contain
thc seed OF greater purity of admins
tratiun The question III politics Is
generally an alternative. Shall |, upon
the Whole. promote the public advantage
more 10y voting for this candidate or
for that ! DO the general character.
party or that promise most for the
country and lis welfare! Granting that
there is here and there an unworthy
officer of the government. Is it the rule
that unfit men ar" appointed! Grant
ing that this or that measure is ii mis-
take. i the general course of the Ad-
mimStIatinn erroneous and pcrilouS
These. and such as these, are the
questions which every voter should ask
1t is, of course, the business of papers
and orators in the opposition to magnify
single acts and to represent exceptions
us the rule But that is not the desire
nor the conduct of independent and
patriotic men.
Those. therefore. who wish to see the
accomplishment of certain specific re-
forms will ask whether they are more
probable from new party, constituted
as it must now he, OF from the Rcpub-
lican party. And now the first thing
that will be observed is that the success
of such Il new party implies the defeat
and destruction of the Republican or
ganiZation. In the present condition of
the country is such IL result desirable
In regard to the Cincinnati Republicans
and Others we wish to utter no invidiouS
comparisons. or expressions, or suspi-
cions. The motives of Mr.. sumner, Mr..
SchuTZ, and Mr.. Greeley may be fairly
supposed to he as pure as those of the
adhercntS of the Philadelphia Conven-
ton. But is there ii single object which
they have at heart-eXccpt some per
sonal preference which is unworthy to
be named in such discussion-which
they really believe is more attainable
by a Democratic alliance than by the
Republican organization
1t is true that parties change, and
that man is not to he forever CON
demned or avoided because he has been
IL supporter of false principles and
fatal policy. But if this is urged Us an
argument for il new party, the reply Is