Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-07-22

phizes with view to convincing itself and
others that though General Gsrheld's
letter of acceptance is not all that it could
desire, it ia probably rs much as could be
expected. II says the bold, aggressive and |
spirited days of the Republican party are
over Ia the days of its youth, sit was
frank because it had nothing to conceal.
at was daring because it had nothing to
fear" This is intended to be oompli-
me ntsry, we presume, though it does not
strike us as being entirely so, but it has at
least the merit of truthfulness. The Post
declares that 1t is impossible for party |
long in power to maintain this attitude
which was that of the Republican party |
when sit was an ideal not a polite party"
and it says:
To-day it occupies, from political point of
view, very much the position which the DEM |
ocratic party occupied when the Republican
party was formed 1t finds within itself jar
ring interests to adjust, conflicting opinions
to harmonic or to gloss. Its candidate in
stinctiyely puts himself i'll n defensive rather
than an aggressive attitude. So il happens
that although James A. Garfield as a MEM
Der of Congress from an Ohio district, has
stood at least abreast of the most advanced
Eastern opinion on the currency question,
James A. Garfield as candidate for President
is constrained to strike the safe
to say that this safe mean is not
restricted to Ohio, but even in the hard
money State of New York the excessively
moderate views contained in Mr.. GARFIELD
letter are entirely satisfactory to men whose
curiously assorted financial principles are set
forth from time to time by that veteran poll
tician and astute student of the average
popular sentiment, Mr.. Thurlow Weed.
Here is about the most remarkable ex-
cuse for "the Ohio idea that professed
hard money paper could well put forth.
The admission is thus freely made that
the candidate the Post supports holds the
"0hio opinion" of finance, and that opin-
ion but recently denounced by the Post as
rankest heresy is now called a "safe
mean, and as matter of fairness it is
further stated that this opinion is not
confined to Ohio, but is shared
by men in New York whose
'curiously assorted financial principles"
are set forth from time to time by that
superannuated old specimen of the an
"tique order OF bosses, who ''lags supertlu-
GUS on the stage" of modern politics.
How it can possibly make the Ohio finan-
cial not ion less Objectionable to sane New
Workers TO know that set of people in
their midst who look to Thurlow Weed as
their leader have become innoculAted with
the heresy is something We cannot i'm
agine, much less comprehend. Continuing
its line of apology which includes the
party as well as the candidate within its
scope, the Post further says;
The possession of power promotes that
tinid conservatism which stays the reforming
hand of Improvement and advancement.
This is not only true of party power. 1t Is
true of the power of wealth, the power of
social organization. the power of an ecclesias-
teal system. and of every situation of
strength with the attendant SENSE of respOn-
sibility. 1t is not in such conservatism that
great parties originate. II is not by these
means that purifying. wholesome and radical
movements, of which the rise and growth OF
/
example. work to lift mankind or q nation tn
higher levels. But all parties, however bold
and liberal III the beginning, tend toward the
conventional and the polite. From the
polite point of view, General Garfield and his
advisers have aimed to strike the safe meal
of Republican opinion. They will appeal te
the country in the canvass upon the prudent
/ ground Of letting things alone and the Letter
Of acceptance is the keynote Of the campaign.
1t is yet to lie proved that merely as cXpc-
, dicnt politicians they have made mistake.
We really find it difficult to keep it in
mind that this is the utterance of q
Republican paper which is supporting
: General Garfield for the Presidency, at
2 the candidate of The Tarty in pocer The
l evil results of the proraeted possession Of
f power 10y single party are set forth will
/ wonderful clearness. That purifying apt
a expected at the hsbds Of
e party long in power IL confessed and il
n seems to us that it would DO difficult foi
= any Democratic paper to furnish {
\ stronger argument in favor nf chang
n than is thus voluntarily Offered by tn
r Eoening Past. Yet, as we have said, tn
Post does support Garfield, or at least ha
$ done so up to yesterday. If this is thu
s sort of support the cultivated and highl,
n intelligent class of Republicans for WHOM
It the Post speaks proposes giving Garfield
n we have no doubt that while it is true a.
q above said that il il yet to be proved