The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-06-14
Political Morality.


Within a very few days the great Ma
tional Conventions Of the two parties of
the country will have selected their can
didates and enunciated their politieal
principles. The nominees and The plat
forms of these two Conventions will be
submitted to the people Of the United
States for their choice at the coming
elections. 1t is fair to presume that the
men nominated and the principles enuh4
ciated will be the proper expenents of
the political faith held by their respect,
i've parties. 1t is also fair to presum
that each party will put forth these ex!
ponents in the hope of commencing itself
to the support of the people. In SO doing,
success is the primary motive in both.
In striving for success parties are prone
to forget that their highest duty is to
nominate such menand adopt such prin-
ciples as to desefue the success they
seek. With such candidates and with
such platform as shall render success
deserved, even aparty defeat can scarce
be called party disaster. .,..,'
In order to deserve success no party
can ignore the element OF political
morality. Without this; party success,
even if secured, is greater disaster
than defeat; disaster equally to the
country and to the party achieving it !;
for, in such PARTY, there needs must be
lurking elements of weakness that will
inevitably eventuate In it's overthrow.
Politicians may affect to despise this
| moral element, as having no place in
| political movements; but no true States
man will SO regard it. The mere poll
tician will declare that, in politics, as
in war, everything is right that wins;
| the Statesman n will declare that, in poll.
| tics, whatsoever is not right can not and
ought not to win. The declaration OIL
the former is no more than the motto OF
political gambler; that of the latter is
the maxim of a political philosophers,
The difference is Infinite.
| light from the sun as TO separate sound
politics from sound morality. And what.
| soever party shall aspire to the posses.
sion ofpolitical power by any procedure
adverse to sound political morality will
| essay to ascend on stairs of sand. d
all peoples, "we thepeople' Of this Great
Republic have the greatest need of q
public and conscientious reverence o
the great ethical doctrines of sound
political morality, in order to regulate
and Keep steady to the law of right
that popular sovereign power which il
nowhere on earth SO absolute as among
ourselves; and thus absolute we would
have itever; butever absolutely right.
And there is among our American
people this .deep-seated reverence fol
high-toned political morals. This is al
ways manifested in terms unmis taxable
and indignant whenever there are re-
vealed, In any party, undoubted symp
toms of political decentralization. The
4 party that would build for permsnenc,
of its power must make this innate pub
Ilic sentiment OF our people their chic
lcorner.stone. The party which meet thi
day to make public their choice of fner
and their enunoiation Of principles, a
we'll as that party which Is to do TN
same things fortnight hence, would d,
we'll to give heed to this underlying
sentiment of the American people.
| Therefore, If either of these partie
has suffered from demoralizing 4tenden
oies within it's organization, theSpeopl
will now demand that they becast out
lThey demand that corruption shall Civ
place to purity; that covetousness shal
1giye place TO integrity; that 'extrays
gance shall give place to economy; i
word, that political wickedness shal
give place to political morality. Th
1party that neglects or refuses TO respond
eoah absolute sincerity, to this rightlu
demand of the American people ma
take tor its emblem the divine inscriI
tionl at the Baby yIonian feast-"Thou ar
weighed in the balance and foundwant
ing. The seepteris departed from thee.
----s~s--- s----------