The Russellville Democrat., 1876-06-01


 republican party. Its purpose was mainly to prevent the rcnom- ination of Grant, and it would have fallen to pieces, as it's lead CTS designed it should, had the national republican convention nominated q candidate who repre- scnted the traditions and ideas of the republican party. But It fail ed to provide for the contingency of Grants rcnomination. In as- suming the name of liberal repnb- lican it could expect no large ac- cession of numbers other than republicans, especially when 1t placed at the head of it's ticket one than whom hardly republi- can in the country was more ob- noxious to the democratic masses. I saw then the mistake involved in the name of the party adopted by the convention, and l labored earnestly with the men who had the ear of the convention to se- cure the adoption of a name which should truly represent the real purposes of the honest mass es of the country and that was the party of national reform. That would have been q name to coniure with, and one which would not have repelled the dem ocratic masses, without whose al liance success was hopeless. Other counsels prevailed. Other men did not feel as l did, that the needed reform could never come from the republican party. Other men distrusted Grant. l distrusted the party which creat- ed and sustained "Grantism." The inevitable result came, and the experiment of a third party, in my judgment, Is defeated for q generation.
 Second-Reform within the re- publican party. Is it possible? When did a party promise a pnr- CT administrative policy than the republican party in It's conven- tions of 1868 and 1872? What have they given us? Let the rev citations of the last three years, and especially of the last four months answer. l will not revive the sickening details. Can the country trust future professions and pledges? Admit that the republican candidate who to-day represents, specially, purity and reform shall be nominated at Gin cinnati and elected. He goes into office under the necessity of talk ing counsel of the men who have elected hlm. Among these un- doubtedly would be many of the purest men of the republican par tv of the olden time; but among them, too, must be the men who have degraded the republican party and dishonored the coun- try. The men who banished Sumner and Greeley, Trumbuli and Schurz from the councils of the party must still be recognized as supporters of the administra- tion and as entitled to voice in its policy. They are in the senate and control it's action. They fill all the important offices of the country. Will republican ad. miuistration turn them outi Eighty thousand republican office holders are eating out the sub stance of the people. Here and there one has been detected in his nefarious practices-hardly an infinitestimal fraction of the whole. Will a republican admin istration call its dcvotees to ac- count for practices learned from their supporters? The republi can press of the country, with few honorable exceptions, is con trolled by rogues or their apolo gists.
 Take single branch ofthe pull lie service of the reform of whicl the promises have been the -oud est-the civil service. Why has it failed? Not alone froU, insin cerity, and hypocrisy, but mainly from the imposibility of that par ty in power should carry out re
 form. Let me give an illustration ol the inherent difficulties of tho case.
 In April, 1861, Mir. Charles Francis Adams, having been ap
 pointed minister to London, re
 turned home. Everybody eXpec
 that he would at once pack hi
 earpetbag for the next steamer Foryears the slave power had ap pointed our diplomatic represen tatives abroad, who had poisoned the public opinion of all Europe
 in regard to the causes and pur poses of the rebellion. Instead
 of hastenlng to the post of dut,
 and of danger, he waited severa weeks, and reached Eugland tn
 day after the Queens proclrma tion of recognition was promulga
 ted. If there was one man in tn