The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-06-21
WHAT MAY HAPPEN WHILE
mR. HENDRICKS IS IN EU-
ROPE.

the policy 1t proclaimed ana even Ior-
get his letter published not very long
ago in which he said:
The revenue should be free from
partisan control and organized on q
strictly business basis, with the same
guarantees for efficiency and fidelity in
the selection of the chief and subordi-
nate officers that would be required by
q prudent merchant. Party-leaders
should have no more influence IN ap-
pointments than other equally respect
able citizens. No assessment for pOliti-
cal purposes on officers or subordInates
should he allowed; no useless officer or
employee should be retained; no officer
should be required or permitted to take
part in the management OF political or
CARNATIONS, caucuses, conventions or
election campaigns. Their right TO
vote and to express their views on
public questions, either orally or
through the press, is not denied, pro-
vidcd it does not interfere with the
discharge of their official duties.
These declarations of the President
met everywhere hearty popular concur
renee and were hardly less applauded
than his conduct in liberating Louisi-
ana and South Carolina. So unreserved
has been the approval of these asser-
tions Of purpose that Mr.. Hendricks,
in his recent admirable speech on the
eve of his departure for Europe, was
induced to confess that the Presidents
practical accession to the ranks of Mr..
Hendricks's party would not prevent
the overthrow of Republicanism in
1880. If the President practice Demo-
cracy and his adherents approve, it
would seem that Republicanism,
now that the negro and the South
are extinct as partisan facts,
lapses into practices of honesty
and patriotism, and thus becomes
Democratic. If it be thoroughly re-
formed, if the civil service be honest,
If States be free, if party leaders nc
longer WELD more power than the
private citizen, if the intervention OF
placemen in politics be inhibited, if,
in other words, the President reduce
his purposes to practice and do moi
fall by the way, as Democrats predict,
into the clutches of Butler and Blaine
if these things occur will the Radi-
cal party exist? 1t has ever been &
party of aggression; this new party il
one of reform. The Radical party
ever rushed forward; this of the Pres
ldent looks backward. The Radica
party was destructive; this of the
President builds up States and is crea
tive. The Radical party was despotic
this of the President dispenses free
dom. The Radical party concentrat
ed power at Washington; this of the
President diffuses it among coequa
States. What will be the end in foul
years of these progressive facts and
policies2 Will there be Radica
party9 On what will 1t subsist9 Mr.
Hendricks does not inveigh against the
Presidents policy or acts. He only
contemplates change in placeholders,
and for the reason that recently he and
his political associates were cheated.
But the question remains, was the
country cheated2 Does it not secure
every boon it could have gained il
Tilden and Hendricks had bought
Bradley? If Bradley should be hanged
it does not follow that Mr.. Hayes,
whom Bradley, another Warwick,
crowned with laurel and bay, should
be execrated. There was no alleged
priUty between the two men, and Mr..
Hayes's worth must be measured by
the isolated facts to which we advert
when we quote his inaugural, his rc'
cent letter given above, and when We
contemplate the general character ol
his acts as President and appointment:
to office. Thus far, save that mistakes
must now and then necessarily occar,
his conduct has been almost uniformly
approved alike by Democrats and Re-
publicans. Radical Democrats and
Radical Republicans-the oflice-seek-
ers and habitual placemen-alone have
condemned. What, we repeat, must be
the effect of such policy of such an
administration if unchanged in its con-
duct and purposes through four years
The passions of yesterday will become
dim memories as idle as we deem those
of lcg-cabin and hard-cider folly OF
1910. Democrats, or men calling
themselves Democrats, in 1880, will
have indefinite recollections of Tilden
and Gramercy Park, and of the great
railway wrecker, and will have de-
lightful recollections of the splendid
figure that stood like that Of very
god few days ago before the people
at indianapolis, and talked like a
statesman and patriot as he is. These
will be pleasing memories; but the
empty partisanship and passion and
folly OF excited multitudes will be for
gotten. New questions will absorb
popular attention. Brsdley's deed
will be remembered as 9 stupendous
Joke or harmless fraud. The law re-
formed will reuder Its repetition i'm
possible, and new facts and new men
and new parties and new foreign, Mex
lean or European complications will
have oblitersted passions and preju-
dices and perhaps parties of to-day.
Does Mr.. Hayes contemplate these re-
sultsl Are they improbablei Are
they not, if his policy of to-day be
persisted IN, sure to occurl Very GER
tainly, if Hayes practice Democracy
through four years, and the Republi-
can party concur, the South will escape
from between the upper and neither
millstones of political extremists
between which we have been
ground to powder. Contemplating
this end, we may surely rejoice and
this is an end which Tilden and
Hendricks, in the very nature OF
things, could not have achieved. If