New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-14

TN a noteworthy altlclc Ill llt August HuH-
Der of Macmdian's Magazine, Prof. Goodwin
Smith argues that constitutional governments
can be carried on without parties, and finds
ground for believing that the materials for
party organization are nearly exhausted III the
British colonies, and probably in the United
States, and that they are at least temporarily
exhausted in England. He looks upon the use
fitness of party as n political instrument as
closely connected with the peculiar circum-
stances of an age of unscientilic politics, oil
" combinations formed upon class interests, OF
"l;tle independence of mind, feeble rcasonlngs
"and strong passions" IA polItical knowledge,
indepcndent thought and public morality adj
vance, he claims that allegiance to party
grows moro feeble, until the cohesion is
broken up and refuses to be restored
In order to maintain party feeling there must
he, he SAYS, issues involving important public
interests upon which men may honestly differ,
but as the tendency is constantly TO dispose OF
such issues until none remain 1t finally becomes
impossibe 10 maintain clear division of the
voters into two parties, and many factions spilng
up destitute Of principle, and struggling III
qucksand of scliishneSs end intrigue. In the
United States Prof Smith finds that the dlsor-
ganization is necessarily under the influence OF
a President who has gone ont OF his party,
and is trying to De the President of the whole
nation. Ii is not possible he argues, to name
any issues on which new parties can be formed.
Two alternatives will present themselves to
" the people either a new mode OF working the
Constitutional Government and maintaining
" the proper check on the Executive must be
found, or the President must be allowed to
become something very like an elective
dictator for term of years"
We think Prof Smith mistakes, in this coun-
try at least, a temporary phenomenon for
permanently changed condition OF affairs. There
is undoubtedly lull in party strife aud ten
dency, growing out of the relation OF party dis
cipline, towards the formation of independent
factions; but this is a feature by no means new
or Startling. The history OF American politics
shows that there have been recurring periods
of cbb and flow in partisan feeling, and when
it is cbb tide there are pretty sure to be cross
currents of petty fach0nal strife. 1t has not
always happened, however, that party feeling
has run highest when there was great issues at
stake, involving moral principles or impor-
tant material interests. The contest between
the Wings and Democrats over questions 50
family defined that one can scarcely dis
tinguish them at this distance of time,
were even more bitter than those which
sued between the Republicans and the Demo-
Gratis over the slavery quesiOe. The Native
American party grew 20 gigantic proportions
in single year, when there wa, no particu
lar cause for prejudice against foreign-born cit
liens No science has been discovered that
forecasts the movements of the tidal waves of
popular feeling, and accounts for their iluctu
ati0ns. Because they are running low now 1t
would be rash to predict that they will speedily
subside altogether. We may have entered an
era of calm, and all indications lead 10 this
supposition but we should not be surprised If
in another year or two the tempest OF party
passion is renewed.
Whatever may be the condition of politics
in England, "A temporary lull i'll this country
does not warrant the conclusion that parties
here are worn out instruments which the peO-
pie are about TO throw aside. In new cOun-
Try, with many unsettled social and govern
mental problems, and with vast undeyeOped
material resources new questions will cOntn-
ually arise Of sufficient gravity TO divide the
people into two contending organizations. In
other words the materials for parties in the
United States, instead Of being exhausted,
promise TO hold out for century OF two
longer.