New-York tribune., 1880-06-25
HISTORfC PATTY"

They say-and say it as though they lily
took pnGe in it-that this is "great historic
party " that has just been holding National
| Dow-wow at Cincinnati, and they set it up as
having in this respect the advantage OF its
rival, which is only twenty-five years old, anu
was organized for temporary purpose, which
has already been accomplished. We'll, it is his
tOric-sOmcwhat. But such history "1Outh
without honor, age without respect" Take
the twenty-five years in which it has stood over
against its present rival what is there in all OF
them that can bo pointed to with pride or re-
membercd with satisfaction The record Is
one of constant Inconsistencies, contradictions
and tcrgiversatiOns They talked some OF
adopting the platform of 1876 rs the platform
rOr this Convention and the campaign OF
1880 AS though it were possible Why,
these people have not seen the time these twenty
years when they dared Tcallirm Il platform OF
their own that was two years old. The only
principle they have adhered to i'll all this time
has been the pursuit of Office; The only policy
they have consistently pursued has been that
OF faciOus opposition to all Republican
measures.
The people who talked about the historic
"party," and about rea0irming old platforms,
platforms Of the past twenty-five years, and see
how much there is iii any of them, outside OF
meaningless Rcncralitics, that they could rea!fiTm
without making themselves a laugning-stOck.
They would not G@ra rcpcate even what they said
on the subJrcls of free trade and national
bank in 1886, much less what they set forth ut
great length on Slavery and State Rights Their
position in 1860 they fatty abandoned Ill
1864, when they nominated Mcclellan, al ur-
successful General in Il war they opposed. In
1868 they could not of course resolve that the
war was a f;ilurr, as they had done four years
before In 1872 they abandoned al their old
positions and supported the Liberal Republican
candidates. bv which they made the rcaflilma-
tion of their old pafOrmS-and especially of the
PcndlctonIan grrenback hcrcSy which they ran
after in 1S6S-impOssible. In 1876 they
switched of in An entirely new direction, and
undertook to masquerade as RctOTnncIS, with
prctrucc of iayorng specie resumption and
declaration of hostility to the only practicable
measure for securing it. And now IN 1880 they
have thrown of the disguise of RrfOi II. demon
stratcl thu h0ilowncss and nsiuCcrlty of their
professions in that regard. rejected their only
representative Rcfurmcr, and in the face of all
their representations Of danger from military
ru'c nominated a candidate whose only merit
is in his being soldier.
Historic party indccdl IL has history, sure
enough Il history you cannot lay your finger
on at any point without marking an incOn-
sstcncy or crookedness They don't dare stand
s'll in one place long enough to be counted.
In throwing 1ildcn overheard they not only
abandon tho position Of 1876, but every posi-
ton they have occupied since, and especially
the one in which they seemed to have i'll
trrnchrd thcm,clvcS most strongly on the
Fraud issue On the other hand, the RCpub-
can party has nothing in all It's declarations
for these twenty-five years OF which 1t need
10 ashamed. There is nothing in any Of its
successive platforms that the platform of to-day
need omit, except those declarations which by
the action of tho party have been crystallzcd
into facts and deeds, and tho promises which
the part, have fulfilled. You may go over The
entire record and while here and there on may
find reminders Of great things that have been
ACCOMPLISHED, wiso and bCnctccnt PURPOSES
that have been cOnsummatcd, you will discover
nothing Of principle or policy that tie Rcpub-
ican party does not proudly recall or zealOusly
rcafm. 1t has not the age CT its opponent
but IN what it has it has more sources of salts
faction and pride. lis record is clear straight
forward and consistent 1t has never aban-
dcncd a principle once asserted nor rctrratcd
from Il position once taken. TO all that it has
ever av0wed it's belief in it is true and stead |
fast to-day, and its mission will not he ended |
till all the fruits of the great war are gathered
and the credit, character, stability, unity and
pcrmancnce Of the Government are fully cstab