The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-06
The signs OF tho Times-Tho Real
Meaning Of the Garfield Demonstra-


General Garfield has made an apology for
the administration and the republican party
We are reminded by this enthusiastic apology
OF another demonstration from the accom-
piished editor of Hdvp~'s Weekly-Mr Curtis
himself conspicuous member Of the repub-
bean party, and for some time an office
holder under the President who follows up
the line of thought advanced by the HERALD q
day or two since in commenting upon the
present political commotion in Massachusetts,
and its probable effect on the coming New
England elections. The testimony of this
gifted editor and politician is not without
value, especially when taken in connection
with the views of General Garfield, and
our only fear is that he takes a limited
scope of the subject and builds hopes upon
the career and character of the republican
party far from being justified. When last
year the HERALD, in q series of articles and
discussions which attracted an unusual de-
gree of attention throughout the country,
pointed out the drift of the administration
and the logical tendency of President Grants
policy, Mr.. Curtis and General Garfield
were among those who refused to &C
cept our conclusions. This was the
time to have put such a pressure upon
the administration as would have made i'm
possible many things thnt now grieve leading
republicans The general acquiescence of the
most conscientious republicans in the tone
and tendency of the administration justified
the President in believing that the party had
NO mission opposed to his will. 1t is too late
to ask for ian unmistakable sign''-too late
to share the confidence which finds expression
in the belief that IAN attempt in the White
House to Johnsonize the republican party
failed, and an effort to Butlerize it will be
equally useless"
tits precisely this epigrammaic form of criti-
cism that fails to explain the situation. There
is no comparison between what is here called
to ''Johnsonize" and "Butlerize" Mr. john
son distinguished himself by stubborn antag-
onism to the republican party; General But
Ter is distinguished by stubborn fidelity to it
Mr. Johnson endeavored to build up new
party on the ruins of republicanism Gen
eral Butler means to ruin everything to
make republicanism a dominant power.
General Butler is mere soldier in the ranks
strong, busy, audacious man, it may be,
but simply type of the dominant element
If he were to be thrown out tomorrow, if he
were to die or to retire from politics or to be
dismissed from the ranks, the party would be
no better than it is now. General Butler is no
better and no worse than his time-than Mr..
Dawes or Mr. Frelinghuysen or Mr.. Schurz or
any of the other politicians who are looked
upon as purifiers" Mr.. Dawes, who seems to
be especially an element of publication, is
stained with the Credit Mobilier infamy. He is
a representative who condoned, if he did not
really commit, that wrong To ask the country
to really decide between these men, or to seri-
ously look upon the appointment of Simmons
in Boston as a sudden and unprecedented
crime, is to lead it far away from the true
meaning of the situation. General Butler
is as much representative republican as any
of his critics. The appointment of
Simmons was not an exceptional but a
natural, necessary consequence of our present
political condition. The pity of it is, not that
Simmons was appointed, but that the party
tone has fallen so low that his appointment
was q necessity, and that we are compelled to
listen to the explanations of General Garfield
as in some sense an apology. The men who
censured that appointment are the very men
who lowered the tone of the party. Mr..
Dawes, who is purifier" critic Of the
administration, is the chairman Of one lead
ing committee of the House Mr.. Garfield,
its swift defender, is chairman of another.
When a party cannot refuse to give the
leadership of its legislation to two men
stained with the Credit Mobiier scandal it
certainly cannot expect that the Collector Of
the Port Of Boston can be other than of the
quality of Simmons Simmons in Boston,
sitting in Boston, in the receipt Of customs, is
no more scandal than Dawes and Garfield in
the leadership of the House.
No, mol The discussion passes away from
mere men like these into higher atmosphere
We cannot elevate General Butler into polit-
ical principle merely because he offends the
muslin-and-beans aristocracy Of Boston. He
represents the dominant section of his party
its fighting, disciplined power; its skill in
partisan warfare, its discipline, its audacity,
its resolution to hold power and fight rather
than surrender. He is an emblem of what
might be called the regular army of the party
whose trade is politics. He represents Blaine,
Cameron, Conkling, Carpenter, Chandler,
Morton, Brownlow, and the mighty organiza-
ton which they control. What is more, he
represents definite political principle of
action. We know it is almost forbid
den topic in illuminated circles, but if
any principle is thoroughly defined it is
that if the success Of the party requires
it, we shall have the Presidents re-