San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-09-11

ty, both parties are wanting, The
complexion of our politics, in fact, IL
peculiar. We have outlived the era
IN which clearly-defned questions oi
policy formed the plvots upon which
the action OF parties turned, and jus.
tilted their existence as the means
through which they sought the adopl
tion OF their cherished views by the
Govern mont. 0 In q political dispepsa-
lion So anomalous the army OF indc'
pendent voters should be largely re.
inforced but since one OF these par
ties will certainly rule tho country for
the next fouriyears, the question sub.
mitted, to the popular judgment " "A a
choice to be made between them, and
the personal qualities of their stand
ard bearers q How shouMthe sincere
friends Of administrative reform and
the publication Of our debased poll;
tics cast their ballots? N-'
OUR PARTIES TO. DAY. AND THEIR
ID, STANDARD. BEARERS. col. eDj
The answer TO this question neces.
sarliy invites a cOnparls0n Of these
parties; but thertask is not altogether
Tree. from difficulties. Onenot them
has been in power nearly twenty years,
and. has, THUS suppliedJus with very
ample means lot forming an opinion
while the Otnerlh lhas been out OF pow.
er nearly the whole OF this period, and
has necf ssarily lett US with u compar-
atiyely qmeager data OF Judgement,
Senator Hoar; in, his ope ning speech at
the Chicago Convention; told u.s. that
the parties which confronted each
other ip 1860 confront each other now,
unchanged il purpose, ia temper, apd
in character II this is true, the
question is greatly slmpli6ed, and can
be readily, decided. ! But the assertion
is au affront to common sense and q
reckless, defiance, OF facts, and if he
belieyesit lie is pitiabfy infatuated BY
party blindness. The attitude Of these
parties, twenty years ago, at all events,
has no necessary connection with the
question Of their fitness for civil ad.
ministration to-day. The Democratic
party was then divided on two rival
Candidates for the Presidency, and af.
ter the election Of Lincoln adivery
formidable division Of II appealed
from the ballot to the bayo0et as Its
last and desperate. method OF preservq
ing tke9 ascendanoy of slavery a2 ! he
e4ult was the overthrow Of secession,
the extirpation of slavery. the enfran
chisemeht of1the negro and the recon
struction of the Government The
resistless force of events completely
changed the political horizon: and
now, in the new heavens and the new
earth which we Witness we find the
Democratic party, North and South,
East and West, united ss one man
under, the banner OF Que of the fore
most heroes in the warrior the Union.
1t is not the Democratic party OF 1860
but the Democratic party, OF 1881, in1
nodded /, aud, instructed BY,
great historic events; and We are TO
Judge it in the light Of to day and the
interest of the people Of all sections in
National unityiand peace. We have
40 right to reproach it tor an admins
trative record which it has had no Op-
to make, NOR to condemn
it on ! Mr. Hoar's ingenious the
ory of constructive guilt and
imputed depravity. The same rca !
soning applies to the Republican par
ty. Twenty years ago it disavowed
any right or purpose to interfere with
slavery in the States. II denounced
ohm Browns raid into Virgipiias the
sravest Of crimes. J" AT the beginning
Of the war it was willing. for the sake
Of peace, to abide by the bred IScott
decision and the enforcement Of the
fugitive slave acty Ii have not tor
gotten, it was ready to surrender the
of Congressional prohibition
of slavery in all our National Terri
tories. 1t even favored, ad amend
ment to the Constitution ma ing slaysI
cry perpetual in the States OF : the,
South. For nearly two years alter the
war began it did its best to save the
Union and save slavery with, it, and
afteritLe war was oyer it offered to;
make Q complete, surrender OF the
freedmen to their old masters on the.
single condition that they should not,
be counted in the basis of representa-.
tion. The fitness of the party 10 ad-
Government now is not TO
be judged by these facts, nor is it by
any means established by the grand
of the party in crush
ing the rebellion aud abolishing slave.
~, in which it had the powerful and
indispensable cooperation OF the
We are now in the sun
shine OF peace. and must be mainly
guided 10 our Judgment by the facts
which make up the civil admihistra
.ior of the Government since the elole
IF the war and the settlement. Of the
questions it involved. What claim
has tue Republican party TO a longer
ease OF power, founded on'the record
{ has made daring the past dozen
Iears? This is the question which
iow concerns us, aud 10 seeking an
answer 20 il let us remember that Il is
he future. aud not The distsnt past.
shich chiefly interests us. and that
he reformation Of erea, political
lbuses has become the vital issue and
Jress;ng demand Of the time. b..
rHg RECORD or TUE REPpBncAs
PARTY.
In its National Copvcntion. Of 1863