The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-01
COLUMBIA, IS. G.
Saturday Morning, May l, 1876.
Whittier Liberal Republicans are Tendlhig,

Saturday Morning, May l, 1875:
WHITTIER Liberal Republicans are Tendlsjg.
Men of eminence in all the walks of
life, without distinction of party, united
last Tuesday evening, in the city of New
York, in q banquet to Carl Schurz, who
is on his way to Europe. Mr.. Evarts
presided, and addressed the guest Of the
evening in language of courtliness and
cloquence. air Schurz responded in N
speech marked BY his usual characteris-
tics of force, breadth and elegance. He
sketched. the failure Of the Republican
party to meet the responsibilities de-
volying upon it after the war. 1t lacked
the statesmanship, it lacked the virtue
which would enable it to perceive and
discharge new and important class of
duties. HeNisketohed the necessities
which existed Of securing to the new
oTdoF of things tho support OF friendly
public opinion all over the land, which
would bring the discovered sections to-
gether, the return to sound principles of
constitutional government interrupted
by the war and now habitually disre-
garded, of suppressing the spirit of rnpa-
city, peculation and corruption, and bf
q reformed civil service. It was also in
cumbent upon it to restore to the coun-
try sound currency, and to tighten the
burdens weighiGy upon the people.
These were some of the problems which
should have been taken resalutely in
hand. But, said Mr.. Schurz, you need
not be told chat in spite of fair profess
sions and promises, every one of those
problems is an unsolved md formidable
problem to-day, and that in some respects
we have had to deploro even retrograde
movements of an alarming character.
The best stock of the Republican party
became entangled in the network of
organization, controlled and handled by
n class of politicians who considered the
advantages Of power more important
than the good Of the country. Mr..
Schurz goes on 70 explain that the req
son why he did not, under such circum-
stances, go over to the Democrats, was
that they were equally incompetent at
that time to conduct reforms, and there
was danger, in his view, in a "distinct,
unalloyed Democratic victory" that it
might tend to reaction, and disturb ex-
listing settlements. So he and his
friends adopted middle course, and
attempted to raise't power men bound
by the behests and controlled by the
partisan spirit, of neither of the old
organizations,
The failure of this attempt and it's
profitable lessons, are Justly presented
by Mr.. Schurz. But he does not COM
mend himself 80 warmly to our ap-
proval in the indication Of purpose to
continue TO maintain this attitude, mo-
difying it only by the infusion of q little
mora positiveness. He appears to adj
wise the Independent men to take such
a position that they may, when the time
arrives, be. prepared TO act with united
power upon the already existing parties,
by their moral pressure and rs their
Judgment may dictate. All the advan-
tages of this position have already been
reaped by the independent Republicans,
80 fhr as they have had any organization,
and by the country in its grasp of the
issues which their protest brought to it's
attention. The lesson of liberal Repub,
licanism has well nigh been wholly
learnt.s 1t must move on to something
more decided Words frat and then
action. In the sharp issues which are
approaching, in the struggle between
the incompetent and corrupt old party
with which they have broken, and the
ardent and bold party which is rapidly
returning from its exile with renewed life,
vigor md determination, recalled by the
people who ostracised it, the liberal Re-
publicans will find themselves compelled
to take sides, and shut up to the choice
of the latter. The faint sort of organiza-
tion which Mr. Schurz proposes for
1876 will not stand the tests of that con-
test. 1t will melt away. 1t will find the
reform Of which it hns preached, the
policy which it has discussed and insist
cd upon as Indispensable to the country's
recovery aad prosperity, embodied in the
Democratic party. With it it must
march, and under its banner will it con-
quer. .s,t.5st .f.rr .r..iae, It,r,.
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