The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-15
Party Predieaments.


ceded by commotions intense and uni.
versal. 1t also teaches that those CON-
motions must have ceased before sys-
tematic stratifcation was possible.
Quietude must have succeeded to chaos
before the ''ground-plan" OF the Earth
could be commenced. The political ere.
ations OF the present times are showing
themselves subservient to similar law
Of organization. Their elements have
been subjected likewise to connections
htsnse and universal. The subsistence
Of those commotions is beginning to
make itself manifest in the development
OF the party stratification that is to be
khe foundation of our future govern.
mental policy. From the peaceful
4uietude that succeeds our national
chaos are growing up those ground
plans OF political parties that indicate
the form and nature OF their several su.
perstructures.
Geology further informs us that the
world has been subjected to cataclysms
that overwhelmed Its antecedent order;
and that 1t never again returned to its
primitive state, but took on itself new
conditions Of nature. Our political
world is discovering that 1T must like
wise conform to q similar law Of recon-
structlon. The organizers of party for
future political action are just becoming
Impressed with the fundamental truth
khof ha oF a;x
war, cold things have passed away, and
all things have become new;" and they
are consequently casting about to con,
slider what shall be the new conditions
that the political world is now to as
sumo.
Out of the materials of the old, the new
party organizations must necessarily be
chiefly constructed. Political architects
are not now required to create sub
stance; they are simply to give form to
the materials abundantly cast up to
their hands. 1t is from this abundance
of material, indeed, that one chief party
predicament arises. What to retain and
what to reject, what to consider as tim
ber and what to count as but drilt-wood,
what principles are to be viewed as vital
and active and what as dead and obso-
. lete, are matters that present embar-
RAISING predicaments to party organiza-
lions. 70 combine these materials into
uniform and symmetrical structures, to
work the new upon the old without Civ
Ing the appearance Of patchwork, to
harm0nize the present with the past
without presenting incongruity, is a
work that may well "give them pause"
And that is the work to which the polit-
ical parties are just now giving elaborate
attention.
We will eoncede that, in the prosecu-
tion OF this work, the ultimate aim OF
each party is to promote the best inter
ests of the country, both for the present
and the future. But it can not be doubt
ed that the direct and immediate pur-
pose of each party is TO 80 order the new
era OF coming events, whose shadows
are already falling upon the dial plate Of
time, as to circumvent the plans of the
other for the attainment of executive
and administrative power, And the pc
euliar predicament OF both parties is that
each is in reality ignorant of the plans of
the other. Heretofore, parties have had
their particular policy historically de-
fined and authoritatively set forth; now,
parties have but just opened a new
record, whose pages are still blank,
awaiting the entry OF what is yet to be-
come historic. Moreover, both parties
know that upon that record, before many
months can pass, the inscriptions must
be made that will go far to fix the future
fate Of parties. No wonder, then, that
In this predicament both parties are
throwing out skirmishing lines for the
purpose of drawing the fire of the other,
and of uncoyering their true position as
TO the main line of battle.
1t SO happens, moreover, that the hon
ors of the government are now pretty
equally divided between the two parties.
The Republicans have the Executive
and majority in the Senate, but the
Democrats hold a large preponderance
In the more numerous and popular
branch OF Congress. From this "coigne
Of vantage" they may dictate the appro-
priations, they may demand exhibits
and Investigations, they may withhold
supplies, they may "non-concu" in legis-
Iation. This state of things presents
another predicament Of parties from
which neither can escape, and which it
lsimpossible to avoid. The consequence
must be that neither party, during the
existence OF the present Congress which
covers the period Of the Presidential
election, can effectually consummate
any part of its party tactics that may
depend upon Congressional legislation.
Furthermore, under the unsettled con-
iition of public questions, both old and
new, each party finds it necessary to
settle within its own ranks, Its own par
tcular policy for the future in relation
TO the diverse interests and correspond
Ing views of its followers in the differ