The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-04-14

A school OF politicians has grown UP
In this country within the last twenty
years, affecting 10 represent tho spirit
Of progress which Is popularity believed
TO mark, in peculiar way, the last two
decades of tho world'a history, No
greater mistake has ever been made
than 10 suppose that tho weakening or
even the entire wiping out Of party
lines 10 progress, or represents II In any
appreeiable degree When entire party
organizations were made responsible for
tho private as we'll az public purity Of
their leaders aud standard'bearers-and
this was tho case under the old whlg
and democratic reglme--such conduct
az Belknap's,Boss Shepherds and Others
of the modern school of political prog.
ross was unknown, Now, the last six
teen years Of republican power has do,
veloped an amount Of public official
corruption sufficient to sink tho party
forever, II only tho old standard OF pc.
litical morality was in vogue, The 70.
publioars have been able 10 carry these
heavy loads Of black crimes, and throw
them down at will simply because IL
has no history TO care for, other than
iis crime record, II has no party lines
TO stick 10, no standard of character 10
force It's men up TO whom they aspire
to place and power, Hence, we find
General Grant entering public life q
penniless adyenturcr, and after twelve
or fifteen years retiring with property
scattered oyer dozen of the states,
and fine horses and fine establishments
everywhere,
A neat calculation Of his gross honest
receipts for salary and neat calculation
Of his gross expenditures will disclose
the fact that tho one account will very
nearly balance tho other, or, ifany difa
ference exists,it would, notwithstanding
the increase Of salary one hundred per
cent, during his administration, leave
tho advantage to expenditure. How
then did he accumulate tho handsome
fortune he possesses today Where
did the honest money como iromY No
reply can be made to the question
which would be satisfactory to any con.
siderable number people in this coun-
try, The inference then, is, alas too
plain. And yet General Grant serves
out his two terms, retires from public
life, and his successor is chosen from
the samo party, thus showing that the
people do not, as of old, charge up
against the party the delinquencies of
its leaders. All this dangerous laxity is
clearly chargeable to the gradual weak,
ening of party lines. The soft wings,
soft democrats and fag ends of other
political parties have stepped in and
divide the burden of this shame with
the republicans.
Imagine General Jackson, Thomas
Jefferson, James Monroe, George Wash
ington, Franklin Pierce or any of the
earlier democratic presidents growing
rich on the salary of eight years service
in presidential harness, and yet
Grant not only did grow rich himself
but his relatives of every degree and IA
vorites of all classes were provided with
opportunities, which none of them have
neglected. 1t is said of General Grant
that he was prior to the war democrat
as his father before him was. If so, here
is another strong illustration of the
danger of weakening the party lines.
No, after all these "reminiscences and
reflections we are brought back to the
conclusion inevitably that no true polit-
ical reform can obtain so long as party
organizations refuse responsibility for
the acts of its individual parts. And
this cannot be unless the lines are so
drawn as to exclude from the party
councils those who come only to betray.
These are old-fashioned political ideas,
but while they obtained in national at.
fairs the country was spared the news
fashioned disgrace of seeing its SER
servants lifted from poverty to wealth
by the pickings and stealings of official