, 1876-09-20

cendental theories Of party organization,
good many newspapers that think they cau
bestsorye tho Democratic party under thoprc-
tonso Of Independence havo doscanted wildly
on tho subject Of party shackles, all loading
up to tho support Of SAMUEL j. Tr1pEs,
whose long lifo Inns been constant devotion
to party, md who hos boen utterly unscrupu-
loas il his management Of politics for party
ends. Tho whole drift Of the argument is
palpab!y inconscquential. But it Is n good
time to meet Prof. SUMNER on his own
ground. Ills theory Is that party is 'snon-
ontity,"a "form," " metaphor" "thing
without moral conscience" and TINT good
citizens must look to tho mon and not tho
party. We presume TINT it will bo admitted
that party is IN aggregation Of men; and
herein, following Prof. SuuwEn's leading
idea, do We find the great difference between
the Republican and Democratic parties Of
to-day.
a single instance will suflco 70 illustrate
tho distinction. The Democratic party nom-
mated SAMUEL J. I11pEx for President and
adopted the elittoriug generality Of "Ne-
form" as tho catohword Of tho campaign.
On Prot. sustNEn's theory, tho candidate,
chief supporters, and men who furnish
the votea, ought to be Of characterize pledge
tho realization Of reform and not to tolerate
either personal or political corruption. Now
hlr. T1LpEN, their candidate for President, is
plainly charged with being perjuror aud
revenue-thief. Tho odonse which is laid at
his door Is materially the. same ~ TINT for
which REux and 1IEsrSo, A1oliEE and Ma
ou1nE arc now serving out their terms in JAIL
There were but ono or two newspapers
among tho ontiro Democratic press Of tho
country TINT called upon Alr. T1LpEs to show
that the charge was false, and oven thcso
haye failed to press tho demand. Some
weeks hnve elapsed, and Mr.. Tu,DEs Inns not
spoken. Tho theories of defense advanced
by some Of his par!isans hayo all bocn abau-
doned. His own continued silence, in spite
Of o promised explanation, Is virtual nd
mission that llo is unable to explain away tho
evidence against him. It is no longer case
Of moro speculation. Tho original record
standH which shows him to l,nyo sworn in
ono instance tint his eutiro income In 1869
was only $7,118. aud in another instance
TINT 10 received tho sum Of $4,000 from a
single client in that yopr. To this has been
added evidence that his earnings for that
yoar were not less than 800, ,000; TINT for
eiglt years le nude 10 return what
ever Of bin income as the Inv rc-
quirea, which is precisely the same
na distillors making no return Of tho
whisky they manufacture; and, In q word,
TINT he has robbed the Government Of prob
ably not lcsa than $4,000, which was Just
os much tho property Of the Government
under tho law mud In fact aa Mr. T1lpEA1a
cont IL his property. Yet tho great body of
mon who mako up Mr. T1tpkN's party, tho
newspapers that support him, the stump-ora.
tors who 60 about tho country mud make
speeches for him, the blowers and strikers
who organize States, countiea, cities, towns,
mud villages In ILLS behalf, hayo uttered no
wordof protest against his continued silence,
aud have apparently suffered not moment
ut the thought that thoy aro seeking to elc-
VITO to the highest Office III tho Government
man who deliberately robbed tue Govern.
,nsut for period Of ten years.
The Republican party, though It bo q
Storm" or metaphor" according to
Prof. SUMNER, is made up OF different stuG.
It Is On aggregation Of a better class Of men
with higher notion Of morality anl homes
". It may hayo its hack politicians, aud ita
blowers and strikers, like other political or
ganizationa, but they arc not 30 oYerwhelnl-
ingly in the majority as to bluut the moral
perceptions Of that large number Of citizens
who act with 1t undor the promptings Of o
political conscience, HID tho same charge,
sustained by tho same kind Of evidence, been
used against Gov. HAYES, demand for OK
plauatton would haye gone forth tro,u the
newspapers. tho stump, thu countiug-room,
and ths homo, which he could not have re-
sisted. Had be remained silent under tue
charge and tho evidence, the National TO-
publican Committee would laye met and
called another Convention to nominate
new candidate for President. Thors
Is no doubt shout this. We think