The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-07-17

party is the highest authority in the
land. Neither the express provisions
of the organic law, nor the honor and
welfare of our country, nor the funda-
mental principles of free government,
are ever allowed to stand in the way of
the interests of party. Nor is it ever
admitted in practice, hardly even in
| theory, that the Government has any
duties toward any but members of the
party which it represents.
A party, under our political system, is
an association Of persons who combine
| together for the purpose of conducting
| the Government. Some common po-
litical principles or points Of policy are
convenient for the purpose of keeping
party together, and especially of at
tracting voters; but these are noways
essential Nothing is more common
than for persons, even those occupying
high and influential positions, 70 SUBJ
ordinate entirely their private opin-
| ions, whether as to men or doctrines,
! and to give their assent TO measures
| to which they had before been entirely
opposed. Thus, when the Democratic
party accepted Horace Greeley as its
candidate in 1872, and the Republican
party declared in favor of civil-service
reform Ia 1879, it was evident that the
sole object, in both cases, was to enable
the party to get possession of the ma
chinery of government.
| From these two we'll l-established facts
/ that partyis the highest authority in
the land, and that the sole object of
party is the possession and manage
ment of the machinery of government
it necessarily follows that the only de-
partment of governmental action which
is of any Importance or value is admin
istration. A further consequence is
that Congress, which was primarily q
Legislative body, and which still attends
occasionally to the business of law-mak-
ing, has found it expedient to devote
most of its energies to the details of ad-
ministration; in this way relieving the
Executive of a considerable share Of its
burdens, and making sure that the in
terest of party shall not be sacrificed,
even in the most trifing matters.
Under the system of government thus
developed the men of mark and infu-
ence will, of course, be the men of ad-
ministrative ability-whether it is q
strong masculine power to control other
men or skill in fnesse and intrigue.
What used to be called statesmaniike
qualities knowledge OF the principles
of government and of the interests and
needs Of the country, and the capacity
to adapt measures to desired ends
qualities that are useful in legislation
are no longer in demand; any attempt
at legislation beyond what is called for
by the needs of the party is an imperti-
nence. 1t was small number Of men
| of this administrative type, distinguished
for vigorous executive qualities, which,
under the name of the Senatorial
group virtually ruled the country un-
| der the last administration.
| When it is said that % party is an as
sociation of persons it should be care
fully borne in mind that it is not neces-
sarily large number of persons. The
/ great majority of the so-called members
Of the party are attached to it only for
purposes of voting, since this is, by the
special form of government machinery
established by our constitution, an es-
sential part of the process. The party,
however, in the true sense of the word,
is composed exclusively of those few
men of special taste and ability for adj
ministration who are represented in the
National Government by the Senator
ial group" and in the lesser public di-
visions by men of the same type who
are candidates for this higher position,
and from whom, by successive siftings
the real rulers of the country are do
rived.
It is not hard, therefore, to see what
form of government is likely to rule
this country if repubicanism breaks
down, and il, as seems probable, the
aman on horseback" should not prove
to be an institution adapted to our Gus
toms and national temper. The 4Sen
atorial group" affords an example of the
kind of oligarchy which is likely, undel
these circumstances, to come into power
It will be an oligarchy of men of market
executive ability, especially skillful II
the details of party machinery, occupy
ing seats in the national Senate (which
body may be regarded as the repositor,
of the chief authority in the nation)
and recruited from time to time from
the several States and lesser communi
ties by national process of selection
It will be developed and organized
form of that 1boss Government" witt
which this country has of late years be
come familiar.
It might seem that we had omitte,
the most essential element of legiti
mate Government the source an,
sanction of power. The 3man on horse
back" builds his authority on brut
force; the constitutional King derive
his, in the last resort, from popula
sentiment; and the same thing may b
said of the head of republican Gov
ernment, such as ours processes to be
But the oligarchy described abov
needs none of these. Our party systeI
!. already possesses method for the trans
,, mission and retention of power, pei
, fected, or nearly SO, by long series Q
!, experiments, which it has applied O
the largest scale and with the happies
results. In this method popular sui
,, frage plays an essential but by no mean
, controlling part. With few improve
ments in detail, it will be wholly With
|, |, the power of such group of Statesmen
. when once in possession of the Govern
; ment, to secure themselves against bt
/; ing deprived of their authority by an
/, change in popular sentiment, howeye
+ great. The boldness and thoroughnes
!. with which this method has alread
j been carried into execution on one o,
y casion, and the warm approval wit
, which the best citizens greeted its SUI
cess, on the ground that change {
: the party in power, even by the populi
a will, would be disastrous to the best il
q terests of the country, are facts of Il
Q best augury for its success in the futur
>. That tie result was, on the whole,
d disappointment to the managers, is dr
j. merely to some slight defects in the d
|. tails Of the method; we may feel vel
v sure that no such mistake will be max
u in future.
n Who will venture to say that the CO
II dition of things here described as pc
b sible is not already imminent? Thr
I. wears ago there seemed to be a popul