Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-28
lallcaster fr1telllgenrer.
But One Plank,

them in the rough water in which their
party finds itself, seem to have concluded
that the very best they can do is to main
tain that the Democratic party is not en-
titled to the confidence of the country,
and that it would he unwise to confide
to it the administration of public affairs.
The secretary of the interior has discOv-
cred this life preserver for his party, and
the eagerness with which it is seized
upon is significant illustration of its
desperate condition. 1t is the funda-
mental idea which those in possession al
ways urge TO retain themselves in their
places. 1t is easy to urge that it is better
to endure the ills we have than to fly to
others that we know not of. There is
always substance in such an argument.
III administering government it may
reasonably I've said that experience is
valuable, and therefore those who have
gained it should not he expelled from
their places without cause. Mr.. Schurz
says for his party that its thousands Of
OtiiceholderS are better able to discharge
their duties with advantage t" the coun-
try than new men wOull be who are un-
acquainted with them. 1t is, rs we have
said, what the . ilis" can always say to
defend themselves against the outs,
and what they do always say. But gen.
orally they have something else to say to
supplement this first consideration for
their retention of power. No party ever
before trusted its delivcrAHce to this one
argument. We do not see that to-day
the Republicans have anything else to
save themselves with.
1t is not Il strong reliance. Usually it
is offset 10y the other helief that voters
are apt to strongly entertain namely,
that after Il long lease OF power IA change
is beneficial. The idea is that office
holders are apt to become too expert in
their duties and to conceive an impress
sion that the offices which they are per-
mittcd long to occupy really belong to
them: and they conduct them according
ly. \ stirring up of these servants and
an occasional reminder that they are ser
wants subject to being discharged, is
felt TO he Il very good thing and
the general belief is that its advantages
quite counterbalance any disadvantages
that accrue from putting inexperienced
people in their places. That the people so
consider is demonstrated 10y the fact that
they act accordingly and can he relied
on to eject Il party that has been long in
power. The Republican party has been
especially fortunate in hanging on to the
tleshpotS for twenty years. They never
would have done it but for the vigorous
hold which the civil war enabled them
to get. They secured the disposition of
immense patronage and had the bloody
shirt to help its power.
They are reduced to dire extremity
when they have nothing else to urge in
their behalf but that they ought not to
be turned Glst because they have been SO
long i'll. That is one strong reason why
they will have to 60. The people are
tired cf them. To political parties a
period Of fasting is wholesome. The doc
trinc Of DIR. Tanner in regard TO the
physical man has long been accepted and
acted on lly the voters us to the political
man and there are thousands of good
Republicans wllo arc glad to know that
their party is going to be beaten. for
they have become ashamed of it and
heartily tired of subsection to its leaders.
They want Il new deal and Il general
washing and repair OF their old raiinent :;
to the rn'! that they may come once
more irforr the public sweet smelling
and clean.
1t WAS very :.u.l,ciuuS in Mr.. SchurZ to
invite attention +" the Republican record
and 10 ;lsk its ontinlEincc in power be-
cause of its deserts. And he would
surely not have done it if he could have
done anything else. Bat there was not a
fragment! @. the bia,;iy shirt left to wave
in the face ui Hancock. and there was
II" possililii? of attempting to contrast
his record with that of Garfield. The
only thing open was. t" compare the re-
cords of In" two parties. Upon this,
whatever their merits, argument is
almost closed by the fact that their can
didates represent the parties and will act
for them; so that the independent voter
will hardly be restrained from casting
his ballot according to his conception of
the men who are presented to his choice.
When he finds that the Republican cam
didale is Il man with Il record 50 bad
that the marty orators fear tO touch
1t in defense, he will not he
likely to I've induced to vote
for him by in argument that the party
is better than its candidate. The hide
bound Republican voter may bc held 10y
such an argument for he requires no
holding. He will say us the MontgOm-
cry county cousin of General Hancock is
reported to have said the other day when
asked how he was goingto vote, " that
he had always voted the Republican.
ticket and he WAS going to vote for Blair
field" We have thousands Of people
to match this intelligent citizen, and
plenty III them in Lancaster county.
Their stupidity is too dense to permit
them to stray cut of the Republican fold
that they have always llirbored in, and
will keep them voting the Repub-
iican ticket us long as they live,
although they don't know the names of