Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-05-11
Young Men and the Repubii-
can Party.
TliarrcfH Neckly, I

e kAltAtISih NttkIssi
The Republican party has always
strongly appealed to the sympathy
and support OF young men. The
moral aspect Of the slavery question
aroused enthusiasm, and the earlier
movements OF the party We're like "a
crusade. This tradition still fingers.
/ The party Is strongest among the
most intelligent and most conscien-
/ tiUus classes of citizens. 1t II weak
4 est in the worst parts of great cities
and among those who were bred un-
/ der the influence OF slavery and se-
cession. But this TACT explains the
independence within the party which
renders the strict drill and deciplne
( OF the Democratic party impossible,
and which often cnufuses .he designs
of party leaders. This independence,
| however, Is the true conservatism of
! the party, because it holds those lea
! ders in check. There Is always
| known TO he large number Of Re-
! publicans who wOuM not hesitate TO
stay away from the polls or Ia vote
| against AN unworthy candidate. ---
| This number Is now large beyond all
precedent. In every other Prcsiden.
| tial election since the partStwhs or.
ganized the alternative has been so
| hard and momentous that 10 has
seemed wiser to this independent
| class to sustain the party even under
protest. But this year the issue that
Is fast becoming most prominent Is
| that Of reform, and party traditions
and party bonds are weaker than ev-
er before.
The young men at this election
will not have the hideOus crime OF
slavery to deal with, like those Of
sixteen and twenty years ago. But
the ardOr and high hope Of their
youth naturally look to find worthy
cause in politics, and they turn to
the Republican party as the vehicle
by which their desires of giving
purer and nobler impulse 10 practical
politics may he fulfilled. How are
they To act? Shall they form reform
clubs: Shall they declare them
selves wholly independent ofparties?
Shall they resolve to support, ire
spective Of party, only honest and
ca pable men? What can they do?
How shall they do it? Weare often
asked such questions, aud we will
enieaver 10 reply. A little reflection
will probably show that under n sys-
tenn OF government like ours tangl.
ble results can be produced only by
organized political action. The ma.
ture of the results desired Is largely
determined by individual tempera-
ment, by knowledge, patriotism, in
terest, circumstances, and education.
Now the results tnat we desire can
not be accomplished merely by cleo
ting honest tnrn. 1t il the honest
man that agrees With us "a to what
should he done, whom we should
support. IL the &, eai Rebellion in
England Falkland WAS rs spotless
rud eiivaIric ~ Hampton, bat no
man who wished the overthrow Of
the Stuart tyranny could follow
Falkland. Calhoun was, in the nsu-
al sense, ~ honest n man ns Seward.
Bnt every man who wished tO re-
strict slavery voted and worked with
| seward and IL WAS the party organ
| izalion 0fstho4e who 80 Wnrke. and
voted that really nverthrew slay.ry.
We d. not fuget the moral appeal
of the Ah1litionisis that awakened
| the pn.cienee of the country. But
IL vi. the political combination, the
! party, of those who were aroused