The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-21
The Independent Party.

We are asked whether it will not
now be prudent to re-organize the
independent party and seek to- car
ry the coming election for its can:
didates. This depends very much
upon what the independents desire
to accomplish. If their purpose is
simply to elect their favorites to Of
fee, then, of course, they want to re-
organize their party at once, get
their ticket in the field, take off their
coats, roll up their sleeves and go to
work earnestly. But we cannot see
that any good to the country is to
result, if they are even successful'
for we confess that we have very lit
tie faith in. their leaders generally.
The politician who, through over
weening ambition or laundering
stupidity, has lost caste IN his own
part, and who, consequently, went
into the independent party for the
purpose of securing his own eleva-
ton to Office, may and, no doubt,
will desire. to keep up the indepen-
dent organization, for he will other
wise be unable to obtain political
preferment; but we cannot under
stand why the people should put
themselves to the expense and trou-
bic of building up and maintaining
a political organization simply to
crafty the ambition of these politica!
aspirants, whose elevation is more
likely to injure than benefit the
masses.
We have put some men of this
character into office, and what have
they done We must confess that,
personally; we have been sadly dis
appointed by then, and forced to
the conviction that their professions
were insincere or their ability ques-
tionable. With a few honorable ex-
ceptions, they have done absolute
ly nothing to promote the popular
welfare, and, in the cases Of the ex-
ceptions, we find that nearly all of
them have dropped out of the indie
pendent party and are now associat-
ed with one or the other Of the old
organizations. More than this,
those to whom the people are really
indebted for the reduction of reform
principles to practice are and always
have been members Of the old par
ties. The reform leaders have serv-
ed a good purpose as agitators, but
have proved to be, for the most
part, impracticable theorists, to
whose control it would be extremely
unsafe to entrust the destinies OF the
country.
Again, the party now in power is
mot the same, in many respects, as
that which has controlled the gov
eminent since the war. There has
been radical change in those ele-
ments of its organization which gave
it character; and, although the pres
'ent chief magistrate of this nation is
a republican and his cabinet men,
bers, with a single exception, have
belonged to that party, the least in
formed amongst us understand that
there is a vast difference between
him and the advisers with whom he
has surrounded himself and his pre-
'decessor and his advisers. Presi-
dent Hayes is sincere, clear-head-
ed and practical statesmen, who is
governed by desire to do right;
who prefers to be good and true
rather that famous; and his cabinet
officers are all practical and, we be-
lieve, honorable gentlemen.
Again, there is good reason to be-
lieve that the element which has
been displaced from controlling po-
sitions by the elevation of President
Hayes, will make war upon him and
his policy and, if possible. prevent