Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-11-01
Delaware State journal.
WILMINGTON. DEL
Saturday, November !, 1873
Another Evidence of the Dangers 81
Party Spirit.

1dL utuhJs ANONSD -
Another Evidence of the Dangers 81
Party spirit.
All persons familiar with the subject
know that there is q strong prejudlce
amongst all persons inauentially con-
nected with our courts against the trying
of cases of a political character. TIE
reason Of this is, that the best and most
men fear the effects on the
courts. and especially on the popular re-
spect for law, of making the court room
the arena for political discussion. II Is
for this reason more than any other that
so few of the charges current after every |
election, of false counting, illegal voting,
and ballot box stuffing are ever brought
10 the test of public prosecution OF the
alleged offenders. The Judges and law
yers feel confident that there will be TWO
opposing armies Of witnesses, one OF
whom will deny on oath every thing Tue
other afIirms on oath. SO strong are inc
prejudices of partisans, that they Will go
to the verge of perjury, If mot further ID
estifyins concerning matters whieL ahee'
their party, and the danger is that Tue
verdict of the Jurors on this mass OF con-
fictmg testimony, will be controlled also
by their party pr0judices and Affiliations
If this be true, then indeed has party
...-t. .,.,sa L.. .aoobad a dangerous hight
and brought about evils greater than
Washington feared It would do. We already
know by cad experience in the matter oil
appointments 10 office, that devotion to
party has become a stronger motive than
devotion to public good, and feaity to
party stronger recommendation than
honesty and capacity for official place.
This is bad enough, but if it goes still
further, and devotion to party has reached
80 Sanatcal degree as to lead men to
violate the sanctiiy of their oaths, it is
time indeed that the much laughed at ''no-
y party party" wac formed, and that
patriotic men seriously set about the effort
to weaken and break down both the ex'
letting organizations.
The common saying that there must be
"two great parties " Is not founded on
either reason or fact, and the notion Is
now purposely fostered by thievish poll
aicians who have a selfish and powerful
reason FOX propogating this doctrine. The
tendency of politics of late years has been
to remove the single SHADOW Of o treason
which has been advanced in behalf Of
dividing the citizens of republic iHto
two hostile camps" that they would be
"be able to watch each other" and pre-
ssmaby, of course, TO prevent each
others dishonesty. But as great corpor-
atoms who once fought as rivals have
learned the wise policy of fixing a Joint
tariff, so have the " men inside politics y
learned the policy of a discreet division
of the spoils. The election merely de-
cides which shall have the biggest share
Of the stakes they gamble for. The ex
posure of the operations of the Tammanl
ring two years ago, and the more recenI
exposures of the Brooklyn rings rascal.
ties showed how close and profitable
connection exists between tn
wire-pullers of both parties. Rcpub
lican politicians were in the pa,
of Tammany, and held place
under its rule. In Brooklyn, men wer
elected if they were the creatures of tn
Brooklyn Ring, and defeated if they WEI
not, without much regard to their poiti
cal affiliations. In Congress, in the Credi
Mobiler brides and.the back pay sleal
party considerations had little, if any
influence in the division of the plundel
And this tendency increases just in Pre-
portion as the tendency to make polite
a trade or profession increases, and thii
in turn, will continue TO increase so Ion
as party spirit runs high enough to max
the professional politicians sure OF
strong following. For ourseli, then, "
once more express our hope for tin
when all parties may be "for this can
"paign only" aud We shall never ha'
the people. really governing until this
realized.