Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-02-24
THE POLITICAL KaLEIDOsCOPE

line worm H0Bftcdn OF frfuHy last pre-
sents an interesting Kaleidoscope view of
the political field in all its present aspects.
Itsays: The Republican National Con-
vention for the nomination Of candidates
for President and Vice President, is toas-
scmble in Philadelphia in June. The free
trade Republicans, under the lead of Carl
Schurs, will hold a convention in Cincin-
natl. Whether the Democratic party will
join in this convention is as yet unsettled
But still another convention is to be held
somewhere, that is to include the Labor
Reformers, Woman SuGragists, Prohibi-
tory Liquor Law men, etc. AS q contri-
button to this latter organization Mrs.
Victoria G. Woodruff, chief of the Free
Lovers, publishes neat and graceful mani
fcsto, Withdrawing her candidacy, as being
an obstacle to harmony, and agreeing to
support the ticket of what she calls the
Equal Rights Convention. s.u
Thus things are gradually beginning to
take definite shapes, and the issues between
the parties arc gradually looming up. The
itch to proclaim reform of some kind seems
to be universal among all shades of the OPP
position. Carl Schurz's idea of reform is
to let anybody who has been five years in
the country be elected President of the
United States. Wendell Phillips idea of
reform is woman suffrage, and absolute ex-
tirpation of the liquor traffic. The Labor
Reformer's idea of reform is to have high
wages and little TO do. Mrs. Woodhull's
idea OF reform is that marriages should be
mele temporary arrangements. The rebel
idea of reform is that the southern States
should revert, to their condition anterior to
1860. The Democratic idea of reform is
that the Republicans should be turned out
of office and the Democrats put in. Senator
Trumbul's idea of reform is that the ad-
ministration should have no control over
the civil service. Senator Summers idea
OF reform Is that the administration should
hand over its power to the Senate Commit
tees. Mr. Bryaut's idea of reform is that
foreign manufactures should uniformly be
encouraged in preference to domestic in
dustry. --..... .li. ts ~ .'t ..
1t is scarcely possible that out of all this
incongruous tumble of ideas, any one plat
form can be rugged up that will be satisfac-
tory to the several factions, unless, indeed,
in taking n survey in company, they see
any such effort to be hopeless, and there
fore agree. and to go into the canvass
merely with ticket and no platform.
There were possibly great many protec-
tionists who were as discontentrd as the
free traders but the blatant efforts of the
latter have driven all the true friends of
home industry back into the ranks again.
And this is significant of what will ensue
with tha sensible men who represent other
practical movements. ....
There could be no better or truer reform
organization than the Republican party has
been since il obtained power. 1t has abol.
isheG slavery. 1t has crushed forever the
aforementioned rebellion of the State sover-
eighty party. 1t has given the suffrage to
the whole African race. 1t has
secured them full civil rights before the law.
1t enacted the free homestead law. 1t has
put down southern terrorism. 1t has re-
duced the national debt. 1t has reduced
the rate of interest on the debt. 1t has re-
duced national expenditures generally. 1t
has largely and continuously reduced ma
tional taxation. 1t has voluntarily adopted
the civifservicc reform. 1t has sought to
settle amicably our troubles with England
without the arhitrainent Of war. 1t has
given to colored citizens positions of high
influence and responsibility. 1t has reform
cd the evils of the Indian service and main
tained peace on all the frontiers. BY the
firm maintenance of q protective policy, it
has done more to build up home manufac-
lures and give employment to labor than
had been accomplished in twenty years
plnlr W lts ADVENT in power. ..
These are achievements that seem to be
forgotten, or conveniently igno red by those
who are IN haste to break kown what is es-
tablished and successful, and set up some
thing new and untried. If the Labor Re-
formers shall truly represent the interests
of the workinSmen and women ofthe nation
how can they assent to free trade, which
degrades labor to the lowest possible level,
by setting up as the grand desideratum
mere cheapness of production, without ref
erence TO the question whether labor can
subsist on the wages paid If the temper
ance movement shall be represented in the
convention of rcformers by earnest and sin
cere men, can they join hands with the
Democratic party, which comprehends
four-ffths of the liquor dealers of the Re
public, and oppose the Republicans. who
favor the relegation of the question TO the
inherent right of local solfgovernment II
the advocates of the elevation Of women be
represented truly in this gathering, how
eau they oppose the only party that ever
gave women employment. as clerks in the
Departments, at good salaries And, above
all, if the advocates of universal peace are
sincere, how can they oppose an admins
tration that has put stop to Indian wars
and made the only great step forward tc
avoid international conflicts ever yet madei
These are things worth pondering over.