Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-09-12
REFORM AND REFoRsIERS.

litical watchword and through a liberal
use Of this unpatented expression, old
played ont party hacks and new fledged
incompetents are gaining political prefer
ment to which their merits by no means
enti,le them. The party hacks who lead
in this cry are generally as arrant set
0f knaVes az ever country WAS cursed
with, and from their familiarity with the
mode of manipulating !he political ma
chnery OF party, speedily assume the
direction of it> affairs and bring the hon
est efforts Of those who supported them
into deserved contempt. The ground
work, the basis on which a reform move
ment generally rests, is the gullibility
aud ciedulousncsss of the Great Ameri-
can People. 1t is very easy to arraign
the party having present control Of pub
lie affairs, 10 point out the the defects Of
the system followed to single out and
condemn the breaches of public trust to
point out every instance Of corruption
and miSmanagement and then, preserv-
ing a discreet silence upon the subject Of
such measures as have Injured to the pub
lie good, give loud promises Of lasting
reformation, if the new party can only be
allowed trial. And the average Amer
lean greedily swallows the bait, only to
find, in the end, that in flying from the
| ills he knows to those be knows not Of,
he has simply made change Of masters,
the new ones being, in almost every in
stance more corrupt and knayish than
those he has escaped.
The genuine reformer of modern times
! always goes with the popular tide, and is
always foremost in his denunciation Of
everything against which public senti-
ment is, for the time being directed.-
Nor does he often pause to inquire Of
4 Lmselfif if it is not just barely possible
( that the publc.may be wrong in some of
its prejudices-he knows that if he at
tempts to change that sentiment his oc-
cupation as reformer will be gone, and
f his co-workers in the great reform cause
( will hasten to denounce him as being
still in sympathy with the corruptionists.
Consequently he finds it more in conson-
ance with bis future political interests
and prospects to urge matters on, and
ont Herod Herod in his efforts for the
public veal. Aud in his instance, the
aphoIism that . virtue is its own reward"
is altogether too gauzy. His tealty to
the cause of reform deserves a place in
the public kitchen, and it is then that the
reformer's experience with the old, cor
Tupt parties become Of value to him. =
lie knows from bitter experience that
he, too, must some day go the way Of all
who occupy positions upon which others
look with covetous eyes, and he makes
his hay while the sun of reform is shin
ing. Then he is ready to take a back
1 seat until a new movement becomes nee
essary to reform the reformers, which
brings him to the sulace again and re-
opens the field for the exercise Of his Pc
culiar talent. Such, at least, is the ex-
perience which the American people are
having of late years in their reform
movements The history of the efforts
by the people Of the cities Of New York
Chicago, Cincinnati, and other places,
and our own experience with a legislature
Of reiormers is not exactly calculated to
inspire the highest degree OF confidence III
the wisdom or motives of the professional
reformers. Chicagos reform Treasurer
managed to make way with half mill
ion Of the peoples money, and half of
her reform council got into jail for bribe-
ry. New York escaped from the clutches
Of Tweed and sent that worthy to Black
wells Island, only to find, after years
trial, that like the fox in the old fable she
had driven off the swarm Of fat and sur
teited flies to make room for a fresh and
hungry lot; and the acts Of Mayor Have
meyer and the set who took the place of
the Tweed ring have made the knaveres
Of Tammany Hall appear respectable by
the easy process Of comparison. Our own
model legislature which started in with
such lavish promises, accomplished moth
ing beyond raising the rate Of taxation,
drawing their pay, and eecting one of
their own number to the United States
Senate.
The masses Of all parties are honest
enough, and if parties become corrupt it
is because the masses cease to take that
part in its government which it is the
duty Of good citizens to take. No man
errs when he believes there are wrongs to
be redressed, but he errs grievously if he
assumes that it can be done only by the
| professional re.ormers. The truth is
simply what we have before stated in
these columns-that the foundation OF
good government rests with the people,
. and the fault is their own If they are de-
prived Of it. 1t is just as easy to elect
good men 10 Office from either Of the old
parties as from a new one. With either
Old or new, II its political machinery is
given up TO the professionals, the same
results will follow. If people once learn
TO act together and take measures Of re-
form by commencing at the foundation oi
party politics, each voter showing an in
terest in the primaries and other political
gatherings Of his party, and giving lit
tie Of bis time to throwing the manage,
ment its affairs into the hands Of the
right sort Of men, it would shut off the
wind Of the humbugging demagogues,
whose only chance for political advance,
ment rests in the formation Of new par.
ties, with claptrap platforms cunningly