New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-28
FORGITE and FORGET.

The card of President Wilson, which
we printed last week, contains so much COM
mon sense and kind feeling, and shows such a
clear purpose of doing good that it may seem
hypeTcritical on our part to take any exception
to it, especially since it reflects in the
main our own opinions. But Mr. Wilson
makes one mistake which may defeat all his
wise and patriotic efforts. He warns the Re-
publican party that before it can regain its
lost or wandering voters it must purge itself
and live clearly; it must be fair to the
South; it must cultivate a taste for truth,
honesty and ecOnOmy,-every word of which
is true and sensible Above all, however, Mr..
Wilson seems to think, it must forgive and
forget" 1t must treat the Liberals of 1872
and the other dissatisfied Republicans, as the
father treated his prOdigal son overlook their
desertiOn; remember only that they "hold in
their hands the fate of the next Presidential
election" and welcome them back with OPEN
arms.
But suppose they do not want to come. We
have not observed among the Independent
voters any Overweening desire to be forgiven,
any inclination to "go back" in the disguise
of prodigals, any consciousness that they have
done anything for which the Republican party
may take the liberty of forgiving them.
When the late Mr.. Michael McGroarty, who
was lively in bis cups, was arraigned in the
pOlice-court for smashing the furniture, hit
ting the baby with his closed fist, and knock
ing down his wife with q smOOthinS-irOn, he
nSagnanimOusly Offered, if Mrs. McGroarty
would withdraw the complaint, to go home
with her and say nothing more about it. The
proposal, however, did not strike either that
lady or the justice as precisely the
thing, and Mr. McGroalty was conse-
quently sent up. In like manner it
appears to us that when the Republicans pro-
pose to forgiv, the Independents and "say
nothing more about it if they will only fall
into line and vote the regular ticket,
they misapprehend the situation. The in
dependent voter, not being in search
Of an Office, cares very little whether
he il welcomed with open arms or not. lie
has got tired of considering political party
in the light either of family whose members
are bound to speak no i'll of one another,
or an army whose soldiers have only to
stand firm and obey orders. When he
protested in public against the misconduct of
Republican politicians, and when he stepped
out of the ranks and refused TO march with
his former associates who were going the
wrong way, he exercised an undoubted right,
nay he performed no more than duty, for
which he certainly does not solicit for
giveness. Let us get rid of this notion that it
is q species of treason to leave your party
when your party is in the wrong. Mr.. Will
son, we presume, claims the right of private
Judgment in religion; it is rather hmd he
should not allow as much in politics.
We do not ask the Republican party, therefore,
to forgive anybody, and we hope, for its own
sake, it will not be too ready to forget. But if
it will take the lesson Of the last elections
to heart, put stop to this vulgar
swindling that has been going On IN
der its protection, and set up candidates
whom patriot can feel some satisfaction IN
voting for, no doubt it will regain many of the
dissatisiled-possibly even enough of them to
win the election of 1876. The Vice-Presdent
hits the nail Fight on the head when
he says, al think duty to the coun-