Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-24
ITS GRAVE Is DUG.
The Speedy Dissolution of the RePub-
lean Party Predicted.

lean Party tfcOhctc1.
Cincinnati Commercial, Sept o.
In looking at the present aspect of ma
tional politics, it is impossible to resist the
conclusion that the prospects OF continued
Republican ascendancy are very far from
being as promising as they were two years
ago. Nothing that has been done by the
Republicans as a national party since that
time has contributed to awaken for them
the confidence of the country, while much
that has happened in and out of Congress
has been abundantly suited to destroy that
confidence. The party can point to no sim
gle measure since the adoption of the last
amendment to the Constitution (now more
than four years ago., which has been OF
such a nature as to elicit the general pub
lie approval, or to advance the country in
the great elements of progress and pros
perity.
The recent pronunciamento of the Ma
tional Republican Committee in Congress,
so far as it aimed to set forth valid claims
of partisan character 70 continued pablic
support, was a ludicrous failure. To main
tain even a semblance of plausibility in be-
half of such claims il was found necessary
to 90 back to what is now very ancient his
tory, and to parade again ali the old and
settled issues upon which the Republicans
first came into power. On not single is
sue vital in the condition of the Republic
to-day can it be shown that the Republican
party is united or agreed. On some of the
most important of these questions the par
ty, as judged by its heavy majority in Con-
gress, is on the wrong side. On the great
question of transportation, and the means
of solving the problem of the railroads
against the Changers, the party is hopeless
" divided and has no policy.
On the question of reform of the public
service, in behalf of which so many loud
professions and platform resolutions have
been put forth, the Republicans have con-
fessedly played the hypocrite. Their Presi-
dent has held up the principles of Civil
Service Reform in his messages and recon-
mendations TO Congress, while in his ap-
pointments to Office he has practically ig-
nOred and betrayed them. Their Congress
men, after passing a law empowering the
President to institute a reform in the Civil
Service, have steadily striven 10 perpetuate
all the old political abuses, and, at tie last
session of Congress, united to strangle the
infant of Civil Service Reform in its cradle.
On the question of the currency, now
perhaps the most important issue before the
American people as regards the future pros
perity of the country, the Republican party
as Judged by its Congressional representa-
tives is fatally wrong. By an immense
majority these representatives voted still
further to debauch the currency and jeopar-
die the business interests of the country
by an immense additional issue of ire
deemable greenbacks. They have done
their utmost, both by attempted legisla-
tion and by refusing to legislate, to post
pone indefinitely the day of specie pay
ments, which alone could bring assured
stability and prosperity to our people.
On the great question of revenue reform,
or a Just and equitable system of taxation,
the Republican party has no record which
can be cited except to its discredit. 1t has
perpetuated during almost fifteen years the
mOnstrous expressions of the highest pro-
tective tariff ever known to American his
tory. II has kept up without amendment
a system which raises nearly every dollar
of the vast revenues needed To maintain the
Government from the necessities and daily
expenditure of the people, while refusing
to impose any tax upon accumulated prop
erty. 1t has legislated steadily in the in
terest of manufacturing and commercial
rings, and against the interest of the great
body of consumers who pay the taxes.
Again and again has it refused to reduce
tariff on necessary commodities in univers-
al use. And the only attempt it ever made
at relief from taxation embodied in it the
total repeal of the ipcOme taX-the only
tax which made property bear any share of
the burdens of Government, while il left in
full force all the taxes on consumption
borne by the labOring masses of the people.
On the question of more Civil Rights
legislation, to force the cOlOred race by
penal statutes into closer and more init
mate association with the whites, the re-
cord of tine Republican party is also wrong.
The path to negro equality lies, not through
additional legislation (of which we have
enough already, but through the demon
strated capacity of the race in vigor and in
telligence to occupy an independent and
equal position by the side of their white
fellow-citizens. If the Republican party
goes to the country on any such issue as
the Civil Rights bill passed by the Repub-
lican majority in the Senate, and almost
forced through the House, il will be as
surely defeated as the Democratic party
would be on a platform taking away the
civil rights already secured TO the negroes
by valid constitutional amendments.
The outlook for the Republicans in the
coming Congressional elections is far from
reassuring. They have lost in recent cleo
lions all the Southern States except three.
They have also lost two New England
States-New Hampshire and Connecticut,
and there are indications all over the North
of breakup OF old party ties, and a new
deal. Is there any reason in the nature of
things why the Republican party should
continue to live and maintain power? Are
not all the principles which originally
brought it into being settled and accom-
plished by the events of the last ten years?
Has the Republican party, in effect,
any longer a mission 20 accomplish?
If not, il has not virtue enough to save it
as at present constituted, from the fate
which always ouertakeS parties that have
survived their usefulness. 1t has grave
charges of corruption and abuses in Office
to answer for. From the President down,
through every department Of the public
service, there has been official negligence,
loOseness, nepotism and absenteeism to a
degree which, in the better days Of the Re-
public, would have been deemed intOlera-
BILE. No President of the United States
can long treat the high Office to which he
has been elected as plaything and per-
quisite, without fatally damaging both him
self and the party which elected him to
office.
Never, perhaps, in the history of the
country, were there so evident signs of a
disintegratiOn Of parties as now exist. The
party in power can no longer boast of that
compact, united and tyrannical majority
which carried things with high hand SO
long in Congress and in the country. Its
most vigorous and influential organs in the
daily press are now either so wholly indie
pendent, or else fighting within the party
its manifold derelictiOns and coTruptiOnS,
which have so steadily undermined the
confidence of the country. And we may
shortly look TO see its ablest and purest
public men, after vainly struggling against
superior odds to redeem the party, forsak-
ing 1t in sad but stern obedience to higher
duty.