The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-03-05
The Party or the Individual.

Unquestionably there is force in the argu
ment that a candidate who was elected and
after the election deliberately swindled out
of the Office to which he was fairly chosen
deserves the sympathy Of the people. But
it must be borne in mind that under our
republican system the Office Is not the prop
erty of the incumbent but is simply lem
porary trust delegated by the people. The
President of the United States for instance
does not hold his office for his own benefit
nor in his own right but for the well being
of his fellow citizens and in trust for those
who elected him. The "divine right Of
kings" has no place in our form of govern
ment. The President is the mere agent of
the people for the execution of the federal
laws and therefore if he is unjusty deprived
Of his Office the people rather than their
agent are the chief sufferers by the wrong.
Mr.. Tilden some time ago expressed this
view of his own case in very clear and de-
cided terms. If it were otherwise, if in or
der to vndicate the right it were necessary
to insist on reelection of the defrauded
agent, the Democratic party would in justice
be obliged first to renominate George b.
| Mcclellan who was cheated out Of the pres
idrncy in 1864 by fraudulent returns misrep-
resenting the vote of the army, next to re-
nominate Horstio Seymour, who in 1865
would certainly have been chosen President
if the Southern States had not been ccn-
trolled by military force, and lastly Samuel
J. Tilden who was the victim Of the return
ing boards, and the electoral commission.
The same plea is TO be made in behalf OF
each of these illustrious men, but theit
grievances were borne alike by the people
and particularly by the party OF whch,ihey
were the chosen representatives and expo
nents The history of the Democratic party
since 1854 has been that of constant strug
: gle against the usurpation of power and the
practice of fraud in elections by the
Republican party. The countins.in o
r. b. Hayes in 1876 was simply
= bold repetition of the chicane which was
t successful in 1864 and differed only from tht
} fraud of 1865 in the fact that it was accom-
plished after the election while in the Sey
e mour campaign military satraps used fore
. to prevent fair election. Shall we thel
undertake to redress the grievances of tn
several individuals formerly entrusted will
, the standard of the party, or shall we rathe
a address ourselves to the vindication of tn
o wrongs of the party which are also tn
wrongs of the majority of the people? !
C we could do both it would be "consumma
b ton most devoutly to be wished" But is
l. not far better that the party and the peopl
= should be righted under new standard
5 bearer than that the cause Of both the part
= and the individual should be lost by a bin
b and unreas Dnng devotion to the person {
e the swindled representative Of the party j
d a former campaign? Our political alleg
d ance is due to the party rather than to an
:. individual Our aim should be the success
d OF the party rather than to the personal aC
r vaucement of the personal interests of an
e man. Our aspirants should be for the r.
d assertion of democratic principles in tt
e administration of the government rat!.,
If than for mere revengetul redress of Il
d grievances of former member of the part
"A -IutriJt