The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-21

preSrnt paftles are ulNlueu INTO aPpuhchsAy
irreconcilable factions the republican organ
ization, by the confession of some OF its lead
ers, has suffered so far the greatest disorgani-
cation. The party has been in power SO long,
he remarks, that it has two sets OF natural
leaders--the older men, who have long had
control, and who are naturally determined
to retain it if they can, and the young and
ambitious men who have waited for chance
and do not get it and these factions disagree
about policy. There is, no doubt, some
thing in this suggestion, and it accounts for
the ease with which tho President, who be-
longs by his opinions to the younger men OF
his party, has been able to gather them
with the exception perhaps of Sem
ator Morton, are either sulking or in
open mutiny; but the young men see their
opportunity and gather abont the President.
Thus in Pennsylvania Mr.. Wayne Mcveagh
stands opposed to his kinsmen the Came
rons in Ohio Stanley Matthews and Gen
eral Cox stand against TAFT and the old
fogies in Michigan George Willard leads
the young men against Chandler in New
Jersey Phelps is opposed to Frelinghuysen,
Robson and the Newark Camden Ring in
Indiana Ben Harrison and Judge Gresham
give the President even heartier support
than Morton in Massachusetts young re-
publicanism is encouraged to new struggles,
and even in Maine Eugene Hale and Frye
rebel against Blaine and Hamln.
There is q measure OF truth in the remark
our correspondent quotes from anttInde-
pendent Republican" that the republican
party ought to die first, because it has been
of late the most dangerous to the country.
But we warn the democrats that they must
not depend too confidently on tho dppar-
emily moribund condition Of their oppo-
nents. Two spirits have long commended in
the republican party-one wishing to main
tain the predominance of the party in the
country by making it the exponent Of new
ideas, Of liberal political and commercial
policy and courageous treading in new
ways the other holding back, welded to
old notions and to policy of repression
bred OF the war. General Grant who was,
unhappily for himself and for the country,
as he confessed in his last Message, igno-
rant OF civil affairs, allied himself to
the old fogy faction of the party, and
being strong and very self-willed and
resentful man, upheld that wing dur
ing his administration, and drew to it, by
the force OF patronage, number of
men who would gladly have seen the other
wing prevail but who were content to shut
their eyes and wait for change. With
President Hayes this change has come, but
it came too late and too suddenly for many
of the old leaders. Even Mr.. Blaine, who
in other years was looked upon as the
natural and probable chief ofthe young and
progressive republicans and whose efforts
in 1876 defeated the Force bill, has shown
by his recent course that he belongs to the
old fogies-to the men who cannot or will
not see that the country will not longer
stand still.
There is therefore, an undoubted and
serious split in the republican ranks I; but
it is too early for any prudent man to
prophesy that the party is ruined. The
young republicans are able party men they
have n Presdenc after their own hearts
at least promises to be really progressive
policy they have helped him to his first
great achievement, to eliminate the South
ern question from national politics they
will stand by him, and we have no doubt he
will stand by them. Their hope is to gain
control of the party and to turn it toward
the liberal, rcformatory and progressive
policy which they desire. There will
be bitter struggle between them
and the old fogies. But suppose the
progressive men win. Suppose, with the
help of the President, they not only
capture the party machinery, but use it
wisely and theoretically to restore specie
payments, to abolish the Ubiquitous naviga-
ton laws, to liberalize the tariff, to revise
commercial treaties, to revive our foreign
commerce, and to reform the glaring and
scan dalous abuses which have in the last
eight years crept into the federal civil SER
vice. A good deal can be accomplished in
four years, even by slow moving man
such rs we take the President tosbe, if he
knows how TO draw to himself and his
policy the jealous support of the progress
sive element in his party. And if he
should succeed in such programme as
we have set down the democrats will
have to be very wise indeed to carry the
country in 1880. They will have to
reform the State ard city governments they
hold; they will have to show that they
know how to run" New York. for instance,
in some far less extravagant way than that
now in use they will have to oppose with
bold and uncompromising front many silly
and some dangerous political hcresies which
they now mt least tolerate.
We advise the democrats. therefore, not
to count on Il walk over in 1880. They