The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-14

The Independent Republicans.
Mr.. George William Curtis offer of his
resignation of the craftsmanship of the
Richmond county republican organization
was accepted without dissent.
That is to say, the members of the COM
mittee, with one or two exceptions, believe
MIR. Curtis to be wrong and therefore de-
pose him. The HERALD as the organ of the
| independent voters, believes that Mr..
Curtis is entirely right. Every voter not
only has q right but is bound to use his
own judgment in casting his vote. He cam
not make any body of politicians the keeper
of his conscience. His duty as citizen is
to vote for that candidate who, in his
opinion not in the opinion of A, 3 and c.
will best serve the community. Mr.. Cur
tbs, in common with a large number of
other republicans, believes that Mr.. Cor
nell ought not to be Governor OF this State,
and, SO believing these gentlemen would
be false to their duty as citizens if they
permitted State convention or any other
body to coerce them into the support Of
candidate whom they regard as unfit. &c.
too, on the other side, Mr.. Kelly and those
who hold with him object to the democratic
candidate, and they are bound as good citi-
zens to refuse him their vo;es.
This kind of independence of party
bonds and party dictaton is inconvenient
to the increasing number of persons who
make politics their trade; but it is entirely
wholesome for the country. The interest
of the professional politicians is that every
man shall stick to his party; the interest
of the country is that very large number
of voters shall be ready at all times to sup
port that candidate OF that party which on
the whole will best serve the country, and
particularly shall be ready to ''bolt," as it
is called, ticket which they believe to be
bad. The HERALD, in common with other
independent journals, constantly fosters
and encourages this disposition in
the voters to act Independently of
party trammels and to use their individ-
ual judgments, and believes that the well
fare and perhaps the security Of the coun-
try depends very largely on the vigilant
and conscientious action of the great mass
of independent voters, almost the whole of
whom are men of intelligence, who give
thoughtful attention to public affairs.
While we entirely approve of Mr.. Cur
it's action in this case we must add that
his general political course has done very
much to strengthen the very elements in
his party whose predominance is grief to
him. AS an influential teacher in his party
he has taught its voters for many years that
any republican is better than any demo-
GRAFT that, whatever the condition of
the republican party, the character of
its candidates, or the acts of its repre-
sentative men, it was still necessary to sup
port them rather than admit the democrats
to power. Holding this foolish doctrine of
course Mr.. Curtis has been powerless for
| good. He has been in convention after con-
! vention tag to the machine" kite, and
the men whose predominance in his party
he opposed and hated gathered streng
and courage from the fact that they knew
his weakness. They knew that he would do
their will and follow their commands in
the end, however he might struggle in ad-
| vance. Hence not only has he suffered
series Of political defeats within his party,
and with him the policy he advocated, but
the very policy and the very men whom he
opposed have been strengthened by his
| course.
SO long as Mr.. Curtis and the other indie
pendent. or liberal, or conscience" repub-
licans, as they may call themselves, take
the ground that any republican is better
than any democrat, and that the success of
the democratic party would be a danger to
the country, so long they may rest assured
their efforts at ''reform within the PARTY"
will be in vain. When a party is persuaded
that it is the only safe refuge of the coun-
try it is no longer capable of nominating
it's strongest men or of adopting the wisest
policy, and in our judgment Mr.. Curtis,
with the best intentions, has done more
than many worse men to demoralize the
republican party.