The Van Buren press., 1873-02-18
A RaHildered Party.

change or some KIND may be looked
for in the Republican party. 1t has be
come absolutely necessary and when
anything becomes absolutely necessary
in great social organization, it is very
apt to come, whether all hands are ready
for it or not The Republican party has
ceased to shout its own praises; it could
not afford to indulge in that fayorite
sport in the presence of the uncovering
Of its vices which is now going on in the
national capitol; and there fore 1t is silent.
For the first time in its life, it is ashamed
Of itself The play Of hypocrisy has come
to an end, and the applaudcd chief actors
stand unmasked and detected before a
surprised public, The party has not even
that desperate resource which political
parties usually have, of throwing oyer
board their convicted leaders, dsavowing
their crllnss, and calling new mon to their
places.
In the first place, it cannot deposc its
offending leaders; and in the second
place, if it could depose them, it would
not know whom to put in their places
The most conspicuous feeling in the Re
publican party at this time is a painful
consciousness that it has no available
reserve of uncorrupted statesmen to draw
upon for new leaders Its fearless, in
dependent, unstained men were banished
from its ranks last summer, and their
vacancies remain to this day, There is
no spare material to put in them. And
if all the tainted senators and representa-
tives whose names have been brought in
to unenviabls prominence by the investl-
cations now going on could be set ASIDE,
il would be felt that 70 better material
could We found to put in their places.
Bat they cannot and will not be set
aside The exposures have 'ipnally fail
ed to arouse that strong Indignation in
the party which it owes to the occasion :;
it is stupetied at what it sees, hut that is
al 1t may take some action against one
I or tro or the mos llagrant offenders, but
it will not go further than this, and the
subce' will have TO come before tho peo-
pie for final verdict; not only against
the offenders, but against the party that
produced them
There is q singular relation porcciva
bic at Washington, between the admins
tration and the party-the result, most
probably. Of these very household dis
closures. We hear Of no cordality; we
do not ses senator this or representative
that speaking for the president, and con
trolling Legislation with the echoes from
the White House, We see no retnue
following in the wake Of the reelected
president; and we hear Of no power be
hind the throne welding the authority Of
the executive, The president remains in
the White House and the senator's and
representatives remain at the capitol
each apparently desiring to have as little
to do with the other as possible. The
administration seems anxious to keep
their skirts aloot from the victims of the
Investigations, and leave them to their
fate and the victims and their friends
respond by keeping aloof from the adj
ministration. There is q growing cold
ness between them, and each Is evident.
ly meditating the chances ofgetting along
without the other. Republican senators
are quite as reluctant to be made respon
sble for tho acts OF the administration in
Louisiana as the administration are to be
responsible for the relation between sen.
ators and the Credit Mobilier, The pres
ident has sent to the senate enc emphatic
veto of carefully considered bill and
strange to say. the senate has sent back
a reply which the president and all his
official advisers would find it difficult to
answer. There is in the senats's defense
OF its bill resentment that we could not
have expected between a re elected presi
dent and the leaders of his triumphant
party. 1t shows that, for somo reason,
there is an utter lack Of sslation between
them. This cannot continue long with
out manfesting itself and the next ques
ton presented to Us will probably be
whether thc administration or the leaders
are to blame Tor the degradation OF the
party Al that Is left to the party is to
quarrel, and il the better elements cannot
throw off the worse, allow the worse to
throw off the better.