New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-12
p.eveRs AND POLITICIANS.


IS oo,rtosos hetyeen the Farmers and the
party politicians at the West WIN an amused
sort of interest On the one mana we see
great body of hard working earnest men, sur
ferine under bitter and prolonged grievance,
and determined to right themselves, at what
ever cost to old political associations and
nroiudices. On the other is mob of perplexed
iea6ers utterly nonplussed by such extraordi-
nary manifestations of the popular temper and
scurrying hither and thither to get In the van
Of movement whose direction they have not
vet made out. In fact, since the memorable
rnr;s;np of 1861 the West has never till now
been stirred by any great Overmastering popu-
lar imnulse. In the presence of commotion
of this kind the common politician Is power
less. He can lead no longer; ne must follow
with the Others and unless he is very adroit
he is found at the tail of the procession. His
difficulties in the present case are enormously
enhanced by the fact that the Farmers them
selves have not yet found out exacCly where
they are going. They look askance at the
white-handed gentlemen who travel around
from Grange meeting to county far, with
soiled boots and hickory shirts, hay seed in
their hair and back pay IN their pockets.
They read the resolutions of party conyen-
tons, pledging sympathy to the oppressed
sons of toll, and they ask incredulously what
these politicians mean to do for them. In
day the whole fabric of party has broken
down. The differences of Republican and
Democrat the quarrels of Liberals and Radi-
calls. are suddenly found to be unmeanlng
nonsense in the light of the one practical
question Of the West.
And vet the Farmers War, az it is some
times called, is destined to have great po-
litical influence. 1t has already reused the
people from that indifference to public virtue
which we have looked upon as one of the
most dangerous symptoms of the times, and
has taught them that it is more important to
ask about their candidates whether they are
honest and capable, than whether they have
the support of the regular caucus and always
hurrah for the regular platform. The Farm
ers believe that they are fighting for their
lives against the money of the railway cor
porations; and when they turn for relief to
the Legislatures and to Congress, they find the
railway agents controlling the caucus, setting
up their creatures at the polls, or going into
the lobby and buying legislators ready
made. They know now that they must select
their representatives from better material
and by better agencies. They have lost their
faith in platforms and their respect for the
caucus, and hence the efforts of the two
parties in the West to secure the adhesion of
the Oranges have resulted thus far in COM
plete failure. If the Farmers do not nominate
men of their own, they will doubtless vote in
most cases strictly eclectic ticket.
The effect of this will be to raise the stand
ard of the party nominations Neither side
can afford to present candidate whose char
acter will not bear the closest examination.
We are not sanguine enough to predict that
a permanent publication of official life will
follow; but if we can only check for little
while the decline of public morality, if we
can only Danish a few of the venal legislators
who buy office for the sake of the profit they
can make by selling themselves in turn, we
shall feel that the Farmers Movement has
accomplished great good for the country at
large, irrespective of what it may do in the
matter for which it was especially organized