The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-05-12
THE INDEPENDENTS.
Ihelf programme FOreshadoWed by Hon.
Carl Schurz.

You have alluded, Sir, to my disagree
ments with the party which elected me
t. the Senate, and the indepen lent DO
sltlon / deemed it my duty to maintain
as one ot tie distinguishing features Of
my public curse. You will pardon me
Tor few remarks on that subject. Nv
course was guided By very simple prin
ciPles and views Of policy. I started out
IN public life as an Anti-Slavery man,
and All earnest deyotee of the fundanen.
tai principles underlying our free institu.
tlons; and seeing in the Republican party
the standard bearer of those principles
| naturally attached myself to it as one
Of its members. Faithfully and jealous
/ ~ did | cooperate with that organization
before, during, and after the civil war,
until the logical and legitimate results
Of that conflict were SO firmly fortified
by constitutional provisions as to be rea-
| sonably secure from subversive reaction.
Then the time had certainly arrived for
recognizing the importance of other prob
LENS
The maintenance Of the Union and
the Liberation of the slaves were, indeed.
achievements of the highest order, but
they did surely not furnish a cure for all
/ those serious aim ents of the body polite
which loudly called for remedies. 1t
was necessary to secure in the new order
/ Of things that support of a friendly pub
/ lie opinion all over the land which is in
( dispensable to its prosperous develop
/ ment, and to that end to bind the two
+ sections of the country together again
by wise policy OF Cancellation, honesty
and justice. 1t was necessary to return
to sound principles Of constitutional gov
eminent, which under the pressure OF
war necessities, and also without them,
had frequently been lost sight of, and the
disregard of which was growing into
habit most damaging to free institutions
and to the peace Of the country. 1t was
necessary to repress the spirit ofrapacity,
speculation and corruption, which, slim
| ulated by the opportunities of the war,
! threatened to poison all the channels of
power. 1t was more than ever necessary
to reform our civil service, which, far
from being the best in the word, was the
source Of abuses, absurdities and scandals
unknown in other civilized countries, and
which, with the growth Of the govern
mental machinery, was becoming more
and more dangerous to our institutions
and demoralizing to our political life.
| fondly hoped that the Republican
party, embodying so large a share of the
intelligence and patriotism of the country,
would take these problems resolutely in
hand, and with honest holiness advance
to their solution. But you need not be
told that, III spite Of fair professions and
promises, every one of those problems
is an unsolved and formidable problem
to- day, and that in some respects we
have had to deplore even retrogade move
ments of an alarming character. |
thought then, and [ think now, that the
old stock of the Republican party and
probably a large majority of the rank and
file were, ard are to-day, sincerely and
heartily in favor of the reform | have
indicated; but that they found them
selves entangled in the network of or
ganization, controlled and handled by a
class of politicians who considered the adj
vantages of power more important than
the good of the country, and that thus
the Republican organization ceased to be
the organ of the best and most patriotic
instincts and impulses of the masses of
the party.
Under such circumstances a public
man has to face the question whether he
will become the tool of power or stand
up for the best interests of the people as
he understands them. When that ques-
ton arose |, with other men, whose names
are never mentioned without respect,
made nv choice, not lightly and hastily,
but resolutely, and actuated by motives
which | have no reason to be ashamed
Of. We knew we'll that such a choice
Al. IL, 4fN4f l1kaf II
cipline of the party and serious disagree
ments with old and valued friends. That
is no pleasant thing, and how bitter IT
may become only those know who have
gone through the trial. But we had to
20 through it, believing, as we did, that
parties are made for the benefit of the
country, and not the country for the ben
eft of parties And so we stand before
the country now with the same principles
and programme of policy, and | am hon
estly convinced that those principles and
that programme have the approval of
large majority of Republicans to-day,
and of the best elements of the Democra-
cy also
The question has been asked why we
did not 90 over to the Democrats! L
shall answer for myself with entire can
dor and without the least intention to be
offensive to anybody. did not go over
| to the Democrats for reasons similar to
those which separated US from the inter-
ests controlling the Republican organiza-
| tion-the reason that many of the neces
sarv reforms / spoke of seemed at the
! hands of the Democrats to have just as
/ little chance of plishment-tha in
many of the States, where they had OBJ
tanned control, their performances con-
trasted strikingly with their professions
and also because it was to be feared that
a distinct. unalloved Democratic victory
would. even against the desire of their
/ leaders unchain an overbearing partisan
spirit, apt to encourage certain of the
| composing elements of the party to ven
ture upon attempts partially TO disturb
existing settlements-attemp which
would. indeed, certainly be fruitless, but
calculated to lead to confusion and pro-
woke rebounds, tending TO bring forth a
still more dangerous Capitalization OF
power. Under such circumstances moth
ing could be more natural and legitimate
i than the desire to adopt middle course;
TO raise to power men bound by the be-
hests and controlled by the partisan spirit
of neither of the old organizations; men
who would hold the scales with an even
hand, and, unbiased by partisan interest,
!, advance straight on to the solution of the
problems pressing upon the country.
Such an attempt was made in 1872.
and it failed. The causes of that failure
| need not state, for you know them well.
1t discouraged many, but it ought not to
discourage those who, in an honest effort
. To do RIGHT. know also how to profit by