Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-19
THE INDEPENDENT PARTY.
\ Trushfnl and characteristic Letter
from Judge Lindi~y.

4 Trushfnl and Characteristic Letter
from Judge Lindi~y.
RooMs or THE PEoPLEs INDEPENDENT
STATE CENTRAL CoMMITTEE, 7
san Francisco, December ", 18Th
CHARLzs sI.zNDLEy, Eso.--Dcar Sir: A
meeting ofne state Central ,tv v"mm,s a. % 'he ~
meet ut this city on Thursday, the 2lst day oil
january, 1875, at u o'cls NJ; your presence
at which meeting is respectfully requested
zrhaobisct OF the meeting is to provide for
calling Nominating Convention for the
uosz1lnation Of stale Officers ana Mem pels oI
Concross to be voted for at the general elee-
tloh in september, 1875.
Also. to perfect the town, city, and county
ORGANIZATIONS OF the party, 80 as 70 insure the
norsi ination of Independent Peoples tickets
in tho various towns, cltieH and counties
throughout Ihe State at said election, and
gener,iily to prepare for a thorough and en-
efgetic canvas before the people, us we'll as to
discharge any other business touching the in
terests of the popular movement, that may
be suggested. In case you shall be unable TO
attend in person. you are requested to give
your proxy, for The time being, TO any reput-
able citizen of your county sympathizing
with the movement, whowili attend
W. w. DODGE, Chairman.
JOHN r. SHlAIsPsrEIN, Sec'y.
N.R.-Piease inform the Chairman. upon
receipt of This. by letter, whether or not you
can attend.
Los ANGELES, Jan. 9, 1875.
Hon. W. W. Dodge, Chairman State
Central Committee, Peoples hide
pendent Party. 81 n
DEAR SIR: Your official letter of
December %, 1874, inviting my at
tendance at q meeting of the Commit
tee, and requesting my immediate re-
ply as to whether would attend, Is
before me, and in answer | hereby
transmit my resignation rs such
member.
To avoid any misapprehensions or
speculatiOns as to the causes of my
resignation, assign:
MY removal from the District,
First Judicial), for which was ap-
pointed.
ii Considerations personal to my
self, viz: health, private affairs and
inclination demand that should have
as little as possible to do with politics
or public life.
III AS the Peoples party and DEM
ocratic party-having like platforms
have exchanged prospects recently
with reference to their capabilities
and power to redeem the country from
its political degeneration, it is my ex-
pectation to vote, at least for the pres
ent, with the latter, 80 far as its NOM
inees are decent, honest and capable
men.
"To bolt is always in order" 1t is
the highest and most sacred duty of
an American citizen to pursue such
course concerning men and measures,
from time to time, as conscience and
good Judgment may dictate, accept
ing conventional decision as II recon-
naenddtioR, reserving the right to eX-
+ ereise private Judgment and discre-
tiOn at all times.
1t aods apparent to me eighteen
months ago that new party-a COM
mon ground-was the only practical
means of procuring the union of
enough Republicans and Democrats
to accomplish political regenera-
alton. 1t is noa0 equally apparent that
this union must be made, if made at
all, under the flag and auspices of the
Democratic party; whether its name
and "war record'' are palatabie or
not. The same line of duty that led
me to join with the Independents,
now, OH the changed aspect Of political
affairs, leads me back to the old organ
ization.
For me, it is not difficult, as I had
acted and voted uninterruptedly with
that party for thirty years before my
connection with the Independents.
1t can certainly be no more difficult
for Independent Republicans to vote
with Democrats tho it was for me to
cut loose from so old an association
and tostry to help work out the de-
sired result in the nelO and expert
mental organization, mostly under
Republican leaders. Independent Re-
publicans must "swing the circle.n
They cannot go back to the sinking
ship which they properly deserted
They must do this or simply preserve
themselves as organized skirmishers,
or for local and municipal purposes.
1t is neither the time nor place to
speculate upon the causes that have
prevented the Independents from OBJ
tanning and holding the leading posi-
ton as all antagonist of the Repubi-
can party. It should have been the
party of redemption. Suffice it to say,
that there is not nOW the remotest
chance for such result.
Much good has been accomplished
by the Independent party in disrupt
ing the Republican organization in
the State, and Governor Booth and
his Republican friends, in great
measure, are entitled to the credit.
Democrats were but auxiliarics Much
good has also been accomplished
in breaking the po,oer of pdrtisdn OBJ
legations among the parties, and in
teaching voters to exercise individual
judgment and volition at the polls.
With these two results it seems to
me that its mission for the present is
substantially ended, unless the Dem
Ocrats become intoxicated by their
prospects of success and reswamp their
party by bad management and bad
nominations, ere they realize com
plete ascendency In the National Gov
ernment.
Not only does it seem to me that
there Is no possibility that the Inde-
pendents will have any status in the
coming Presidential election, but I
now seriously doubt whether it would
be possible to have it's composition,
homogeneousness cohesion, unity of
purpose and constitutional views, such
as to furnish any adequate remedy to
the prostrate South and against CEN
tralizati0n, any protection to the in
dividuality of States and our legiti-
mate form of government.
The new party might be unit on
the question of reforms in the matters
of corruptions in office and Civil Ser
vice, and yet, might fail in unity on