The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-05-08
A Bankrupt Party.
by GEORGr :. MrnpIAM.

hepuDucan maJOrities everywhere fell OF
or became minorites that In Massachu-
sets the party's candidate for Governor
lost fifty thousand votes il comparison
with TIM year before that New Hamp-
shire and Connecticut have this year been
carried by the Opposition-these facts in
dlcate, IA that language which the ordi-
nary politician best understands, that the
party's ascendancyi in the nation Is serious
ly threatened. But back of these facts lie
Others. in reality Of deeper significance,
and pointing To broader conclusion--that
the Republican party is fast approaching
its final end. Its external defects are but
the fruits and tokens Of a radical internal
troube-the loss of all that constitutes
healthy party vitality. Ii is like man
doing business on credit. and wholly with
out capital there is no reserve from which
10 recuperate, and disasters are the signal
of utter downfall.
The Republican party has Identified it.
self with but one great political idea. That
idea has been urged VIGOROUSLY through
successive phases, has become inwrought
with the organic life of the nation. and
with it, disappearance from the field of
dispute passed away the real raison d'etre
OF the party. Ii began in opposition To the
extension Of slavery in the territories; win
ming on this issue in the election OF 1860,
the South reyolted, and the party became
the especial champion of national unity;
the war led 10 emancipation. which was
carried to completion by the Republicans
with the end of the war came reconstruc-
ton. which was wrought by the Republi
cans under the guiding purpose of secur-
ing the freedmen i'm their rights. Under
these four phases-opposition To slavery in
the territories, the war for the Union,
emancipation, reconstruction-the Repub-
lican party successfully maintained the
principle Of Equality. While these
struggles lasted il had always great end
before it, a great principle for which II
stood. Its policy was sometimes faulty,
sometimes unpopular; but il was intelli-
gible, it tended always to definite and
broad results. In those days Republican
ism meant freedom. Since freedom was
secured, what has il meant? What srinci-
pie, what sentiment. what idea. has Re
publicanism represented since the recon-
struction contest was overg Absolutely
none. Ii has been held together by the
force of habit. by lingering apprehension
about the old Questions, and by a strong
organization. But since the ratification OF
the last amendment the Republican party !
has been, absolutely without definite prin- |
The most important questions which
succeeded those of the war and reconstruc-
ton Were connected with finance and the
material interests of the nation. The Re !
publican party has never had a financial /
policy. The Secretary of the Treasury, |
whoever he might be. has had notions of |
his own, more or less crude. which he has |
tried TO put into effect. But the parry i'm |
Congress has not been united even upon |
the most elementary principles of finance.
When the worst and most disgraceful OF |
financial evils, reputation. threatened the /
country, it was favored by such prominent |
Republicans as Morton in the West and |
Butler in the East. Now that imitation is |
although the intelligent senti- |
ment of the press and the CONNIE rcial pub |
lie is almost solid against it, yet il is car
ried through a Republican Congress and
receives more than halt the Republican K
vote.
Nor has the Republican party had any /
consistent principle of action toward the |
suffering Southern States. The President
has interfered. and without rebuke. to up
hold faction in Louisiana; while toward
South Carolina, whose troubles were due
TO ignorant and corrupt Republicans. the
President and Congress have remained
passive. Upon the whole, the Admins
tration and it, party have now drifted into
a = let alone" attitude toward the South
ern communities. Yet this has not been
due TO any intelligent purpose of restrain
ing the Federal Government withia its
proper sphere; for enormous and reckless
strides have been made toward eentraliza-
ton when any immediate object seeaed to
call for it; as, for example, i'm the recent
passage by the House 81 a bill to subject
all railway fares TO the direct control of a
governmental board.
In a word, while upon many individual
the Administration and the par
~ in Congress have acted wisely and well,
there has been nothing in the nature Of
principle, a set of ideas, political creed,
with which the party has identified itself.
As TO political principles, it Is bankrupt.
"A party In power may he judged by
another standard than that of abstract
deas-namely by its administration of af-
airs. Granted that " Republcanism" has
no longer definite meaning il may still
be asked. Are the Republicans managing
he national business well I. tits not neces-
sary to examine infinitely the record OF
he last five years, balancing the good
leeds of the Administration against its bad
,nes. One great subject of the highest
practical interest now presses Accordingly
upon the public Mind. II Is not question
IF distractions or of policies. 1t Is the
simple matter Of honesty in public officers.
corruption in government has become an
vii as clearly marked, and we perhaps may
Jay as formidable, as slavery once was. II
$ the fruitful parent Of all other mischiefsl
of bad legislation and private immorali-
y. Not only national prosperity and ma.
ional honor, but the happiness and the
virtue of the whole body Of the people,
ire closely concerned. Now, what Is the
'ctual position in this matter of the men
who by Republican votes have been given
he control of our Government? To face
hat question Is sad and humiliating
hing. The shames and scandals of which
he last years have been so prolific have
most IF tban, b.o,, xyifhi,, tn. Da,.utI;o., /