New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-14


has not been Presidential campaign III winch
so large a proportion of the voters OF the
country occupied an entirely independent attn
tude in relation to parties as will be the cas-
in the one about to open. There have been
third parties and third tickets at many pre-
vious Presidential elections, but we have Ill
the country to-day large class OF voters, q
recognized but unOrganized force IN politics
which is not q third party, but Is vastly more
influential than any third party could be; and
any attempt to solve the Presidential
problem without estimating tins Impor-
tant factor will be futile. These voters have
acted heretofore, some with the Republican
some with the Democratic party, and very
large number of them are men who threw Oh
the yoke of partisanship four years ago, and
were known "a Liberal Republicans. OF those
who seeded from the regular Republican or
ganization four years ago for what they deemed
sufficient reasons, few have returned to the
old party, Disguised with the experiment OF
Democratic rule. Some have been driven by
the persistent defense Of malaGministration
ON the part of the Republicans to permanent
union with the Democracy, and considerable
number, the largest fraction, we think,
have held themselves aloof from both the
great parties, dcspaiTing OF reform at the
hands of either. and only hoping for the
growth and increase of an honest and clean
public sentiment, which by one or the other
or both parties, or III spite of them, shall lift
tbe country I'D. The number of these is larger
than four years ago. They are classed as
doubtful" voters by the party canyassers.
| They read platforms impartially; they COM
pare the professions of patty with Its prac-
! tee iudicially; they consider the Qualitica-
tons of candidates with care and without par
tisanship. They have witnessed Republican
corruption and Democratic trickeIy and ncom-
potency; they know the strength and the
! weakness of each party, ard what is more,
| they know how an unOrganized force like then
own can influence both for good.
To organize this conservative force in politics,
with leaders and managers and convention
calls, and platforms and candidates. and all
the paraphemalia of political war, would be
not merely to diminish but TO destroy Its In
fluence and its power. Unorganized and I'M
counted representing no individual ambitions
and no formulated creed, but only known tc
the party leaders on both sides as the force
that makes for political rightcousness-a SEN
timent, if you WILL but moral sentiment, per-
vasive poweriul-it is and will be CON
slant incentive to both parties to dc
whatever will command its support or at least
divide its strength. They who talk about the
independent vote of the country being unin
fuential aud powcrlcss because unorganizet
and without leadership or creed, and because
as they say, party organization is essential t.
politica success, do not reason wisely. Let {
Convention be called to-day for the nomina
ton of an Independent or Reform ticket ant
an organization of a third party be effected
and the force of the movement is exhausted
at once. 1t leaves the managers of the TIVE
great parties to their own devices; to MAKE
their partisan nominations with reference
only to the use of the old party ma
chinery in securing votes; and then, wheI
one or the other has won, we have the same
bad system and the same corrupt administra
ton, with only change of the sign over tn
door, The Independent vote of the country i
in no commercial sense in the market, but !
Ia in the feldi it represents q sentiment and I