Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-04-04
FANATICESM OF TS3E RE
PUBLICAN PARTY.

Mr.. George William Curtis. in an
editorial in Hurper'S weekly, uses
this language 1T is not, of course
justiiiahle that the late rebels should
undertake Ia lecture loyal men upon
mispoverumcnt." The context at the
editorial mudltics measurably the in,
tent which the language per Sc. would
convey. But il has Il ineairIng, new
ertheI,ss. which it 10 10y no means
pleasant to contemplate. 1t is not our
purpose or desire 10 euter into any de
fence Of "reb1iS," a. such, u or to dis
cuss As we might appropriately do,
what constitutes loyalty" But we
propose calmly and dispassiOnateiy to
look al the deeper and somewhat COW
crt significance of tie utteTance of MIR.
Curtis, because ii indicates what we
deem to be the greatest obstacle in the
way of that reform which Mr.. Curtis
admits is so sadly needed. The facts
which are now Immediately involved
are briefly these: Senator Gordon. of
Georgia. made spe' ch in advocacy Of
economy aud reform, in which ne re-
ferred to the general management of
the civil service. and the shameless
abuses in the collection of revenues
Senator Morton retorted in u manner
entirely uncalled for, and made bit
ter partisan harangue. Mr.. Curtis APP
proves Senator Gordon's position as
well taken. and goes on to discuss the
abuses of the civil service, but throws
in, parenthetically, the sentence we
have quoted.
These are the points What do they
show? Simply that the masses of the
dominant party are to-day more par
tiSdIlS than patriots. Where, as witt
us, public opinion is the ruling power
in the land where the people make
and unmake rulers-there seems to de-
veloP periodically sort of hero nor
ship, which loses sight of measures in
It's blind alteration of men. in any cOn-
iuncture which gives rise to strong
party excitement. The dominant par
ty in any given case adopts the misera-
bic shibholeth, Ito the victors belong
the spoils." And il seems another
necessary and inevitable development
of our institutions that no iarty can
remain in existence longer than twen-
ty-tive years before II becomes thor
Oughly pe.mpated with corruption and
fraud and ~ consumed of its own rot.
tPnness Those who have been its
blind adherents deserving the standard
wreck aud combining with the drifting
SQUAD of independent voters form "A
new combination that search wildly
for a leade-, and a theory OF political
faith, ready to follow the lead of amy
reSulute spirit that assumes control
Public opinion Is in a transltient state,
aud neither leaders nor followers
pause To consider measures or results
further than the mere suggestions
of present eXpediency, and the mHin-
tenance of place aud power. The lea
ders i'm such an era are simply reckless
adventures, in the last desperate et-
fort AT success, aud their troop of adj
herents, made up of the odds and ends
or shipwrecked crews, are nothing
more than uondescript mob.
The developments Of the last few
months demonstrate that we, as peu-
pie, have heeu in such a trAnsient
state for the last fifteen years The
revolution, aud its far-renching evil
effects. upset all political creeds, and
that organization which the fortunes
of war made the dominant party
has been just the wild and heternge-
neOus mob we have DESERT ed. The
whole mass Of legislation has been Orl-
~ the dlctation ofexpedIeucy. EXpe
diency is shnrt-sighted, aud therefore
shOrt-lived and ~ a necessary conse-
quence, chaos and confusion have sue
ceeded law and order,
Amid the desperation of the times,
the masses are impressed with the cry
that it Is better To bear the ills we
have than to fly TO others that we
know not of" aud under this infatua-
ton they submit 10 the dictatiOn
Of the self-imposed leaders with