Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-05-25
THE EINDEPENDENTCONFERENcE


United States have recently had con-
ference at New York and have issued
an address which explains their attitude
in the impending struggle for the pres
idency. The celebrated Carl Sburz
seems to have been the chief inspirer of
tb" meeting and certain phrases Of the
address give evidence that he bad a
had in its composition. Whether =. IS
be so or not, it is distinguished for ell.
oquence Of expression aud its apparent
dnim"s is of character to elicit tb ap.
Proval OF honest men of all parties
The folly of the movement, it seems to
US. is IN the supposition that it can
make an impression upon Politics out
side Of and Independent Of an alliance
with existing political organizations.
Big rs the country is, it is not big
enough yet for three distinct and an
taSonistic parties, and to make them.
selves felt and effective in the presiden.
tial issue. the Independents must fore.
go the idea Of quitting forward can
didate of their own" and take service ms
allies with either the Republican or
Democratic organization. They are al.
ready pronounced against Grautism. and
as Grantism is almost certain to name
the Cincinnati nominee, their only chance
to become factor of moment in endea.
vors to "reform the abuses Of our polit.
ical life" is to take service for the time
being under the leadership of the dem.
ocra'ic party. This, we suppose. they
will ultimate do and. in fact, it is the
only sensible thing they eam do, If tbev
are really honest in their professions Of
reform.
Fellow -Citizens-A conference of cit.
izens assembled IN New York, sincerely
desiring to secure the best interests cf
the American people, beg leave to sub.
init to your candid consideration the fol.
lowing appeal:
A national election 10 approaching
under circumstances Of peculiar signif.
canee. Never before in our history has
the public mind been SO profoundly az.
itated- -hy an apprehension of. the dan.
gers arising from the prevalence Of cor.
rupt practices in our public life, and
never has there been greater reason for
it. We will not herein detail the dis.
tressing catalogue of the disclosures
which for several years have followed
one another in rapid succession, and
seem to have left scarcely a single
sphere Of our political life untouched.
The records OF courts. Of State kyisM-
lures and of the national Congress sneak
with terrible plainness, and still thev
are adding to the scandalous exhibition.
While such state Of things would un.
der any circumstances appear most de-
plorable. it is peculiarly so at the pres
ent moment.
We are about TO celebrate the one
hundredth birthday Of our national ex.
istence; We have invited the nations of
the earth on this great annivcrsarr to
s'sAs WI @nu ouu 70 Witness the eyi.
dences Of our material progress as well
as The working and. ELECTS Of that re-
publican government which . century
ago our fathers founded. Thus the
most inspiring memories Of our pas, his
tory are rising up before US in a new
glow OF life, forcing upon US the com.
parison Of what this republic once was.
what it was intended to be, and xhat il
nov is; and upon this We have chal.
lenged the Judgment Of civilized man
Kind eenjointly with our own. There
Is much Of which every American citi.
zen has just reason to be proud-an en-
ergy and thrift, . power Of thought and
action, . progressive spirit which, in
magui6cence Of result, hare ou.stripped
all president aud auticipation; histo-
~ ahoanding in illustrations of heroic
patriotism, fortitude and wisdom; =
greater freedom from foreign ~ars and
revolutionary changes Of government
than most other nations can boast Of: