New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-30

very we'll may say because l have come here
to say this, but am acting under solemn
conviction of what is the duty of public
men, viz, to keep an undivided. unbrOken
delegation in Congress. Throw away the
blouse of Representatives and it is the en-
"tering wedge. Throw that away and it dates
"the decline of power in the Republican party.
" Il is the history Of all the administrations OK
"cept that of Abraham Lincoln. that have
"gOne before the present one, and it will be
"the history of this administration. If by any
"derelictiOn, if by any dissensOn, if by dislike
" or prejudice, we shall fail in Massachusetts
"tO present an unbroken front, we fail, in the
very seat of the power of the Republican
"party, in that State which has furnished it
"brain, and life, and lead. and throwing that
"away, will, am as confident as l am Of any
" thing, date its downfall"
1t will be well enough to recall this speech
and the position of Mr.. Dawes as set forth in
it when the causes of the withdrawal Of pop
ular confidence from the candidates OF the
Republican party come to be discussed. Mr.
Dawes is well known as representative Re-
publican, or to give him perhaps clearer ele-
walton, as representative of Massachusetts
ship and narrOwness. he represents also the
earnestness, the ability, and the conscience of
the party There have been times-when there
was no election pending-when he has stood
up grandly against abuses of power, corrupt
administration, and the evil tendencies of the
time, and has administered to his own party
the wholesome discipline of warning and re-
buke. Mr.. Butler, also, is well enough
known. If one represents the conscience
and moral sense Of the party, the other
represents as truly its materlalIstlc
tendencies, its selfshness, its utter lack
of comprehension of any principle of
morality or standard of morals, or anything
but the quality of success. Il is fair to judge
of the progress of the party and the direction
of its progress by these two men and their
influence upon each other and upon the party.
Has Mr.. Dawes brought up or kept up the
standard of his party so that it repudiates the
choice of men of Mr.. Buffers sort to repre-
sent it, or has Mr.. Butler dragged down Mr..
Dawes and the conscience of the party to
support hint 1t is a fair question. and upon
its answer the popular Judgment will be rem
dered upon the question of the direction OF
Republican progress. And Mr.. Dawes has
made his answer in the extract we have quoted.
Mr. Dawes knows quite WELL nor have the
people forgotten it, that the reply which the
friends of the Administration have made in
variably to the complaints of abuses and
wrongs which dissatisfied Republicans have in
dulged in for several years past has been,
that the only practicable way to reform the
party was "from the inside" inside" in
II h. Ixy ind; loo Of OF ifvt ha
party has given in Massachusetts; the only
thing that by the largest stretch of charity can
be called an effort to "reform from the in
"side," is in the nomination to Congress of
DR.. j. C. Aver, author of the celebrated Com
pound Cathartic Pill of that name. The very
pretense of Reform is thrown aside when Mr..
Dawes goes into Mr.. Buffers District and
urges the reelection of that persOn-whO nOtO-
riously exercises and has exercised in all his
public career the worst possible influence upon
the politics of the country; man who has
advocated all the measures that have damaged
the party; who has defended all the iniquities
that have 30 loaded the party down, and who
to-day is at odds with the party and with Mr..
Dawes upon every political question that has
any Importance whatever But all these con-
siderations, of the most vital consequence to
the country and the cause of honesty and
morality, the representative of the Republican
conscience of the old Puritan Commonwealth
casts aside and urges the election of Benjamin
F. Butler-why9 Because he is "acting under
the solemn conviction of what is the duty of
"pubic men, viz, to keep an undivided I'M
broken delegation in Congress-" That is all.
No mOre no less. A "sOlemn conviction
that "the duty of public men" is to "keep an
undivided, unbrOken delegation in Congress-"
Well, the people read and ponder over such
utterances as this. They know that upon the
confession of leading Republicans in and out
of Congress there have been gross abuses and
corrupt administration the remedy for which
is to send Republicans to Congress who have
conscience, ability, integrity, who will not
defend rascality for pay or prostitute place
and power for selfish ACKNOWLEDGMENT. And
they hear Mr.. Dawes advocating Buffers cleo
ton because it is necessary to have an undi-
vided front. And turning it over calmly and
thoughtfully-for they have plenty of time for
it in these days of prosperous" government
they say, Upon the whole, what press
ing need is there Of an undi-
"vided 'front.' What good has come to
the country from having SO large
ga Republican majority in Congressi Has it
" not been rather demoralizing than otherwise
a." And if indeed it should happen that an
Opposition majority should organize the next
A." House of Representatives, with Republican
D." Senate and Republican Administration, how
" much of calamity would even that BET
" Would it not be wise policy indeed to give
" the Opposition an opportunity to inquire into
" the management of affairs for the past five
" or six years If there's nothing wrong to be