The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-03-27
Cir yrll1lllle.
Is n New Political Party Essential TO
Secure Fabrication?

menus As the sole remedy, IN We" oi tue
Credit MobiIier and other scandals, which
the late Investigations have dragged be-
fore the public gaze. the formation of a
new political organization This new
part is to be formed for the express pur-
pose of securing the publication of
Congress. the independence Of the ju-
dietary, and general administrative re-
forms; and is to be composed of what
ever good elements the Republican par
ty may contain. and of many others
which it does not . In fact, in The Na-
tons opinion, nothing short OF the
combination of the good of all parties
can save US.
This is the view which induced mum
Der of most honorable gentlemen to sign
the call for the late Cincinnati Conveu-
ton but land we have the authority of
The Nation itself for the statement) af
ter they had assembled aid the move
ment promised success, the convention
and platform both were bodily carried
off by the political highwaymen Of the
Yarmouth and Fenton stripe, to the ut
most astonishment aud CONSERVATION Of
the unsophisticated and scholarly gentle
men who inaugurated the movement.
Nor can The Nation give US any guaran-
tee, In view of the progress made since
then in political charlatanry, that a new
movement would not meet similar fate.
There is no possibility, as The Nation
well knows, of keeping dishonest men
OUT of church and political organizations,
if they profess belief in their avowed
purposes, and become jealous workers
in the cause. Therefore, as long rs pub
lie opinion is disposed to regaf1 with
leniency the Credit Mobiier and similar
transactions, all new parties viii become
oyerw helmed with the irresistible cur
rent of bad elements as soon as they
promise success.
There are neither legal nor moral i'm
pediments IN the way Of tine good ele-
ments Of all parties Selling the excel
lent machinery of the dominant party to
accomplish the desirable ends enumerat-
ed in The Nation platform, with the
exception of its peculiar notions Of free
trade. which are not shared by any con-
siderable portion Of the American PEG
pie, and which seem to cling to the edi
cor as part of his British inheritance,
and which do not at all involve any ques-
ton Of ethics, but only of expediency
The platform Of the Republican party
avows precisely the same objects which
The Nation puts forth. If, then, The
Nation is really DESTROYS to secure the
execution of its principles, it ought to
advise the pure men of all parties to
join the Republican party. SO as to ena-
bic them to take an active part in its
counsels, and aid it to drive dishonest
men from power.
Are we told that this is not practica-
BILE? How are all political parties form
ed and controlled By attendance at
the primary conventions in cities, villa
ges, and TOW nships. If, then, the imagi-
nary army of pure mon. marshaled by
The Nation, finds it inconvenieut to al
tend primary meetings now, how does
II propose to manage It's ne" Parry "
are not aware that The Notion has de
machinery than primary
oaucuses and conventions. And if not
why assume the still more arduous task
Oh creating new party, with, oil - Is
advantages under yhiel 1doh ino'e-
ment woul6 na.-earlIy labor, instead of
controlli-e me existing machinery of the
p~publican party. Political parties can
only be means, but not ends; and if the
pure men of the country cannot accomp-
lish this, they will be still less able to
eliminate the good qualities from exist
ing parties, and separate the sheep from
the goats. There is, moreover, a natura |
and almost universal aversion and jeal-
ousy Of men who claim to be the preem-
inently good men, and who sumo to
be the reformers par excellence, which in
itself will be one of the chief obstacles
to its success.
A party that has been long in power
necessarily labors under the disadvan-
tage that the rascally elements, which
seem to be wiser than the children of
light, crowd into its primary meetings
to subvert the party machinery to their
nefarious uses. They do not care to
start the 'rogues party" to distinguish
themselves from the good men party
as long as they can reap the spoils under
less Objectionable name. But in view
OF Brooks's late letter, and the public
receptions rendered to other men of
SCARCELY more honesty, should The Ma
ton succeed in persuading the moral
men of our land to wait for the chimera
OF good man party in the good time
coming. the rogues may take it into
their heads to expatriate or put in Jail
what few good men remain, and thus Sc
cure themselves from further impairment
investigations or 'censorious' molesta
lions.
W Z pcIlGNS lUaI IHCfe IL
grave peril for our institutions. We
hold that republican institutions are
being disgraced before the entire world
by these Credit Mobilior scandals, and
we earnestly insist that the patriotism
and honesty nesting on the hillsides and
IN the wales of the American continent
should be melted to extraordinary activi-
pity to punish the hypocrisical rascais
that have betrayed the public trust; but
this can only be done by full attendance
at all primary meetings, and BY bolt at
the polls whenever bad man has sue
ceeded in obtaining nomination. We.
therefore, beg The Nation to take the
lead within the Redublican party, where
1t belongs, instead of frtteriug away its
influence on impossible objects.
One of the main causes of the present
state of affairs is the injustice which
The Nation and other Journals have
done to number of our public men
conspicuous for their personal integrity.
There Is, for instance, Senator Conkliug.