The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-07-13
DESIR0US OF CHANGE,

"Ths people are desirous of a change"
are the words of Mr.. Hendricks of Indiana
used in his promise of loyal fealty to the
ticket nominated at Cincinnati. Those words
express one of the most important factors to
enter into the presidential campaign of tits
year. Change means progress it MEANS i'm
provement; it means an infusion of new
blood, and a rescue from the stagnation into
which matters political invariably settle when
allowed to fall into a rut, and to run uninter-
ruptedly in dreary, commonplace routine, one
year after another. The love of change the
expectation of improvement by its means, is
as natural i'll political as in social Or in private
life. The boy growing to manhood on a
sterile blue clay farm Of New England may
not know very much of the world but his
ignorance does not prevent him from striking
out and endeavoring to better his condition.
1t is of no use to picture to him the dangers
of travel, the perils of the great world into
which he must enter when he leaves home :;
and advise him to hold fast to, and improve
what he already has, without trying to go
further and do better. Such advice may be
received in good part, but almost before the
voice of the counsellor has faded into silence
the energetic youth to whom it was addressed
is working a silver mine in Montana, "a cotton
plantation in Texas, or is breaking with his
gang plough the rich bottom lands of Kansas.
In his new surroundings the immigrant has a
half contemptuous feeling for himself when
he remembers the misgivings, the gloundless
fears that beset him before departing from
the old home, with its hum drum existence,
to which nothing could induce him to return
while the timid though well meaning coun-
s%ellor, who had cautioned him against the
dangers Of making any change in his manner
Of life, is remembered only with a smile of
pity.
The impulses experienced by the individual
are felt also by the aggregate of individuals
composing a nation. As a means of improve.
ment change is adopted by the nation quite
as nationally as by the individual, and with
results fully as beneficial. The individual.
changes his dwelling place, the nation its
politics, and each in SO doing is animated by
q wholesome confidence that a proper exer
else Of intelligence will be a sufficient guide
i'll new and untried conditions. Such
change is about to be made by the Americal
people. Under the old party the administra
ton of the government has fallen into q yer,
unsatisfactory routine; all progress has abou
ceased, and as the people are by nc means O
opinion that they have yet reached the acme
the limit of advance in the science of govern
ment, they rightfully decide that a change il
the political complexion of the administratio
is the proper remedy to be applied. Shout
the experiment prove unsuccessful the wor
can be undone; and as the emigrant from a
unfortunate migration returns to his oil
home, so the country can ~rGinvest with powe
the party about to be deprived of it, shout
the other prove still less deserving of til
trust. Twenty years, it is felt, is a quite lon
enough lease of power for any party to enjo,
either for its W or for the country's good
and change, now that it can safely be mad
rs called for by the conservatives %throughol
g tho country. But, if twenty years is Ion
enough for a national administration to be i
power, how long a time should elapse befoI
we may reasonably ask for a little change
territorial matters? Considering the slo
rate at which great bodies move, twenty yea
for the nation is a much more reasonab
period than eight years in a territory. N
only the people of the United States, b
those of Montana as we'll are asking for
change in the administration of public affair
: Ihn lautal autLaritias nStinain lhat Ile l.