National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-21

turn to power upon the alleged negative
qualities of its opponents rather than on
any positive virtues of its own. 1t is the
old resolution that the good things Of life
belong to the saints, and that we are the
saints. 1t arrays itself in the old buff vest
blue coat and brass buttons Of its ancestors,
and expects that it will be restored to power
because 1t CHANGED that it was In power
twenty-five or fifty years ago,
Our Western cotemporary seems to have
pretty clear ideas upon this subject, and in
dim, shadowy sort of way indicates its
convictions of what is required at the pres
ent time: There has never been period
"in our history when, according to all rea-
"soning, our theories Of government ought
"to engage public attention more than
"now. But theories Of government are
"not the familiar political questions that
''most interest mems minds. Men are
dividing on the material interests Of the
" country, and the one great and ever pres
tent question of our form of government
''is allowed to take care of itself and be
impressed by, and not impress itself upon,
"our material development. The tendency
Gin politics Is to throw aside abstract
propositions and come down to sharply
defined issues on pending questions. The
" commercial interests Of the country seem
"to have run beyond the power of the
States, and whether for good or evil,
whether constitutiOnally or unlawfully,
"have been transferred tothe Consideration
"of Congress. The commercial questions
care now national questions, and will not
"admit of the glittering generalities which
"embellished the theories of government
upon which political parties formerly
divided parties. Politics now means
business, and any party that proposes to
"obtain control of the government will
"have to define its position on these CON-
"mercial interests and state its propositions
Gin business-like way" The plain mean
ing of this is that all the talk about the
Constitution and the dangers to our repub-
lican framework of government is all non
sense, which, however important and ex-
citing in other days, is the merest common
place absurdity at the present time. The
Constitution, in the opinion of our cotem-
porary, is all right, and will protect itself
What is demanded by the people is that
parties shall address themselves to the great
economic measures of the daY-the tariff,
transportation, our commerce, the relations
of capital to labor, the business needs and
necessities Of the country. To deal with
these in q practical way, with as little refer
ence to old-time ideas and tenets as possible,
is the supreme and pressing duty, and the
party that shall do it most thoroughly and
efectually will be the party Of the future.
The Republican party is not quite so
blind or stuped as the Democracy upon
these questions; but no one will pretend to
say that it has fulfilled just expectations in
this respect or come square up to the work
it was expected to do. Last winter 1t threw
away magnificent opportunities in Congress
to lay the foundations, broad and deep, Of
a comprehensive national policy which
would do more to unite all sections of our
country and restore harmony and good
feeling than anything that could be devised.
But 1t contented itself simply with promises
of performance in the future, and with ridi-
Guile and denunciation of its opponents for
the views they entertained. The days and
the weeks were FILTERED away In idle and
proftlcss debate upon questions concerning
which everybody had made up his mind.
The great commercial interests were al
lowed 10 go by the board and remanded to
the coming winter. A repetition of blum
ders like those of last session win be GER
tain 10 send the party from power, to Gre
ate On organization which shall live not In
the past but present; which shall deal with
the clear cut issues ofthe hour instead offall-
ing back upon its lsurels and indulging in
purely sentimental legislation. The advice
of the Courier Journal applies equally TO
both parties. FdS est G5 hoSts docSri.