The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-10-01
POLITICAL COMMON SENSE.

When human nature attains perfection
we may look for a political party without
faults The best organization ever devils
ed by man has had its weak points Even
the church, an organization where purity
and excellence should be found, if any
where on earth, has its shadows, which at
times darken the light of its holy teach
ings. Yet no one abandOns the church
because few of its followers prove un-
worthy of its name and become stumb-
ling blocks in the path of religious truth ;
a few fall but the many press on, holding
aloft the standard of truth The ignor-
ant and vicious may sneer at the church
because its robes cover at times hypo-
critic and rascal, but the intelligent and
virtuous look, not to the one who disgrac-
es himself by falling short of his profes-
sion, but to the ninety and nine who add
to its glory by living upright and chris
tian lives. What we are apt to call the
faults of the church, are simply the short
comings of few of its members. The
church is no more responsible for them
than the sun is responsible for the clouds
which occasionally darken the earth. Its
teachings tend to elevate, purify, and if
practiced by all, would transform world
of wickedness into perfect garden of
love- peace, and benevolence. But in the
face of human depravity we must accept
things as we find them. We must bear
with the faults of our neighbOrs, remem-
bering our own. We must do the best
we can. Perfection is beyond our reach
Improvement within it. To so live that
by our example we shall do good elevate
mankind, make the earth better for oul
having lived and acted, is the sum and
substance of mans duty to himself, bis
country and his God.
As it is with the church and all moral
organizations so is it with political par
ties. We must Judge them in the aggre
gate, by the results they produce on the
community, State, and nation. 1t is pos
sible for bad men to creep into power in
good party, and equally possible fol
good men to be found within the compass
of bad party There is no rule by
which the one may be kept out, or the 9th
er prevented from coming in A thief
may break into 4 sanctuary and despoil
its altar; a saint may labor in a prison in
hopes of converting its inmates We may
punish the one when caught, and urge the
other to extend his labors Of love, but the
sacts remain the same, and cannot well be
changed To judge the Republican party
by the character of a few rascals that have
been caught plundering its altar would be
as Just and sensible as to sit in judgment
over the Creator because some Of his
children have gone astray. Never since
the birth of the nation has the party been
as quick and willing to investigate what
ever had the appearance of wrong, and to
punish with eyen-handed justice the
wrong-doer as the Republican party 1t
has carried this spirit Of justice far beyond
the demands of political necessity, and has
been censured by its own friends for pros
ecuting its own investigations beyond the
requirements Of its inveterate enemies
But it stands justified before all men for
the purity of its intentions 1t came into
power to watch over and preserve the
Government, and it has never lost sight
of its original mission We challeng the
political history of the world for party
of equal merit for party that has done
as much to elevatemankind and secure per
sOnal liberty; for party that has left so
broad an impress for justice and humani-
ty on the civilization of the age in which
it had an existence. To permit ambitious
politicians, sOured statesmen, or the open
and avowed enemies of the Republic to
break up this grand organization would
be to welcome a calamity whose approach
would be ruin, whose presence would be
death to our prosperity, whose end no
man is wise enough to forecast. 1t mat
ters little whether it falls before the sword
of Democracy or goes down by the treach-
erous blows of those it thought its friends;
it's fall will be the same-the breaking
down of the only loyal barrier that guards
the liberties of the people from the en-
croachment of that despotic power that
once held in the chains of slavery four
million human beings.
We would sound the alarm throughout
the length and breadth of the land. We
would summon every Republican and
true friend of liberty to their post of duty
Our enemies are active, unscrupulous, de-
ternined by threats or promises to break
up the party that saved the nation and
that now defends its honor and integrity
Every shade of opposition is being united;
little faults are being distorted into glar-
ing wrongs; the peculations of single
official are being held up as the rule of
conduct of all; and if our friends are not
earnest and watchful the noblest party of
modern times will be overwhelmed by
this foul tide of misrepresentation and
falsehood As we judge the tree by its
fruits, so we judge the party by the fruits
which it has borne, and is still bearing,
for advancing civilization. Do we seek
reform, it has the power to bring it about.
Do we seek continued development of
national wealth, its past career is the best
assurance that we shall have it. Do we
desire peace; freedom, and all the bless
ings conferred by selfgovernment, it is