The Portland daily press., 1872-11-19
Tho F.ture of the Republican Party.

The FIXTURE of the Republican Party.
A Republican journal remarked after the
magnificent party triumph Of the fifth of Nc
ember that the great danger of the future of
he party lies in its apparent strength. Such,
certainly, has been the history of the great par
les of the country in the past. Not only
nave they broken into factions by their own
immense weight but rnwise and unscrupu-
ous leaders, emboldened by the vast maori-
ties have committed them to schemes that
havejustly consigned them to early and sure
destruction.
The now utterly defunct Democratic party
Is an Illustration of this fact. In 1852, Frank
lin Pierce was carried to the White House by
an electoral majority that was simply over
whelming. The Wing party was so etectu-
ally vanquished that its claim to being any
longer great national party was disallowed
and the result was accepted by the country
with unusual cordially. There was every APP
pearance that the Democratic party might
continue in power halt century. The slav-
cry question which had agitated the country
for score of years was settled in the Pierce
platform by the endorsement of the Missouri
compromise. Apparently the nuch-talked of
era of good feeling had dawned. But the first
session of Congress after the Inauguration of
President Pierce was not half through before
leader presuming upon the potency and in
destructibility of great majorities introduced
measure in defiant violation of the platform
;aL t1,a w.
tory. The downward course of the great ma
tional party and its subsequent disgrace and
ignominy followed in quick succession until
at length history brands it rs the most infa-
m JUS of the great parties of any nation.
In the history of civilization no party or ma
ton has achieved in whole century so many
and so important victories for the human
race as has the Republican party in less than
twenty years in this country. Its onward
strides have been those of Colossus and the
results of its hard fought fields have attracted
the wonder and admiration of the world By
singular unanimity, against the most pow
erful and malignant assaults, the Nation has
signified its approval ofthe past achievements
OF the Republican party and avowed its con-
fdence in that organization to complete re-
forms already begun and inaugurate new
ones. The past faithfulness of this great po-
litical organization has entitled it to the title
of being the party of Freedom; it remains to
be yet demonstrated whether by being true
to itself it may be completely worthy of being
called the party of Reform. If it faithfully keeps
the pledges made to the country at the Ma
tional Convention last May, it will honorably
and nobly win this distinction. If its lead
ers, who, by their election become the expo
nents of the party fail to keep these pledges
in their public acts, they do it at the peril of
the Republican organization and with the
fate of other great parties of the past. as an
ominoas warning of what will be surely their
richly merted punishment.
The present Congress al its last session,
particularly the popular branch, commended
itself to the intelligence of the country by its
measures Of reform, such as its well directed
efforts to reduce the taxation of the country
toward practical economy in the administra-
ton Of public affairs and, above all, in defeat
ing The efforts of spectators from Selling the
public lands and plundering the treasury. If
the Congress just elected takes up this good
work where the present may leave tiff it
honestly and zealously addresses itself to the
public good, it need have no fears for the flu
tureo of the Republican party. 1t will gather
fresh laurels to add to its glorious past.
The Philadelphia Convention made the
most emphatic promises of reform. 1t prom
ised the utmost economy in the public ex-
penditures; it pledged itself to reduce taxa
ton; it pledged its best efforts to secure
honesty and efficiency in the public service;
it declared against any further surrender of
the public domain to spectators but that the
whole should be reserved for settlement and
the proceeds go for the education of the peo-
pie; it pledged its earnest efforts to so shape
its policy as to adjust as far as possible the
causes of irritation between labor and
capital; it pledged itself to extend within its
sphere general system of education; it de-
clared for a civil service based on efficiency;
it declared against the franking privilege in
its present forln-in brief it pronounced the
Republican party and the men elected to Office
by it to be the opponents of all the reforms
that the good sense and intelligence of the
people demand.
If it faithfully keeps these pledges, it will
be the party of the future and can elect to the
Presidency in 1876 any man whose expert
ence and record commend him to the nation,
by as decisive maj, rity as that received by
General Grant. If on the other hand, the
majority in Congress shall neglect to fulfill as
far as possible, all its pledges, it will become
in 1915, as it merits, the party of the past.
Fortunately for the party, it has in General
Grant an honest man of infexible purpose,
who i, fully in sympathy with the reforms
that the intelligent patriotism of the country
demand, and if he is entrusted to give direc-
ton to the policy of the party during the next
four years, it will be certain to retain its ex-
allied position.