Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-10

d Questions must have party organization fo
NE purpose of concerted action. These Of
carnations grow in comp'exity and powe
3 with the growth OF the country, and one o
8 other OF them necessarily controls the gov
e ernment 1t is then that inscriptions me-
see their opportunity. seize on the vast pat
ronage and power which is thus placed a
. their disposal, put their retainers into ofic
at home, and form little army Of dependent
devoted to their fortunes, which from its dis
clplIne and compactness may we'll hope Il
govern that very party which raised them t.
power, and which, in name at least, govern
the country. 1t is well to reflect where al
| this tends. In all great political movement!
the course OF events is 80 slow, 30 gradua
and so covered by old forms which have lost
tHelr original significance, that men often de-
not take the alarm until it is too late
France Is an example which stares US in the
lace 1t is no secret to the world that who
ever can seize on the organization of office.
holders which centers in Paris can cause the
provinces to vote as he pleases, and it is in
that direction that the path we are now
treadlng leads. Does such an idea seem alb
surd and impossible. Look at the facts. No
one pretends that Gen. Butler has the conf
dence of the body of the people. He was,
as it seemed, utterly crashed two years ago !;
he has the support Of hardly one respectable
newspaper in the State; but he has the sup
port OF the of6ce-hoIders, and by their help
proposes to pack a convention to NOM
mate him. Once nominated, he feels sure
of an election, because having stolen from
his party their organization, they can form
no plan of united action, and are left help
lessiy bound hand and foot. If such things
are possible to-day how many years will
elapse before governors of States are sent
down into the provinces by the party who,
Tor the moment, holds p,wer at Washington,
with as much regularity as collectors and
pOstmasters.
1t may be that such is the destiny of Amer
lea it may be that events are stronger than
we, and that the end must come; but it shall
not come without a struggle, and the State
OF Massachusetts shall not lead tho way it
any means now humanely in our power can
prevent it. This it no contest between indi-
vlduals, but a part OF that great struggle
which is taking place throughout the U ri ted
States between honesty and the manly ira
ditions of the Republic on one side, and that
insIdious poison of corruption which is
everywhere eating into our national life on
tie other. The battle must be fought square,
ly and on the true ground. The sooner it
comes the better, for the longer the disease
is neglected the deeper it strikes its roots.
1t We act now with honesty aud courage we
shall do our duty, and We sh Ill gain at least
one victory for what is right over the de-
graded champion of degrading cause.
In answer to these articles in the Advertiser,
the Traveller, a Butler newspaper, says:
Shall we be loyal t the national republi-
can administration and party or to the State
house ring We beg the enemies of the
administration not to stay in the party one
hour. The doors are open. Let them clear
out, one and ali, nor stand upon the order
of their going. They have thrown down the
gauntlet. We pick 1t up In the name of the
people. Their ultlmatum is that the ad-
minstration shall cease to show its trust ID
its abest advocate on pain of seeing them
revolt. We tell them again they may 60.
We tell them that their arrogant pretenslons
wilf-not be endured. We DEFY them to do
their worst
Another Butler paper says:
o All republicans may as we'll understand
this now, that Gen. Grant is Tor Gen. Butler,
and whoever opposes Gen. Butler arrays
blmself in opposition to Gen. Grant and the
administration Every Official republican in
the State is outspoken for Gen. Butler.
Gen. Butler has opposed every step in the
reform of the civil service. He has always
insisted that appointments should be made
upon recommendations Of members of Con-
greSs and the legitimate fruits of such
policy are now seen in Massachusetts where
the olice-holders conduct themselves as his
personal retainers, adherents and henchmen.
The inner ring Of Office holders, and those
who look upon the government as their per-
soual possession, have taken their place in
politics and the IraueLLer cooly tells all
Republicans who resist Gen. Bnter's NOM
nation that they are not wanted in the
party, AMI 90 may co.
This is what the corrupt machinery of pol
itical appointments inevitably leads to. Ii
thoroughly debauched and corrupted the
Democratic party, and made its overthrow
comparatively easy It's now doing its
work upon the Republican party, and will
destroy that organization unless the party
has virtue enough to make and insist upon
a reform of the civil service that shall be
thorough and complete. Is the government
to remain the possession of the whole people
or is it to be regarded as the possession of
the party in power only, and, as must surely
happen in such case, as the property Of the
inner ring that by any means may for the
time being capture the party organization
c. W. W.