Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-07-21
THE "LEADING THOUGHT" OF
THE COUNTRY.


ians is doubtless how to get into Office,
or how to keep in Office. That is nat
ural. 1t is what men ply the weary
trade of politics for, submitting to dis
appointments, ingratitude, bad COM
pany, late hours and various other dis
agreeables.
Meantime it is well for the politi-
clans Of both parties not to blunder. 1t
would be a blunder in them to imag-
inc that the country exists, and the
people labor and pay taxes, only or
mainly that certain more or less needy
and ambitious men may hold Office.
That is an absolutely false and at
present hazardous view of the situa-
ton, as a sober glance at the result of
the two national conventions will show
anybody interested. 1t has been "a
bad year for political BOSSES" and this
is because the people this year chose
to take hand in politics themselves.
Having defeated the bosses in the two
conventions it is safe to believe that
they will continue to keep their eyes
on the political field, and under the cir
cumstances we advise the politicians OF
both sides to keep cool and remember
that they have to do with their mas
ters. 1t is not safe for either the demo-
cratic or the republican party mana
gers to make mistake this year. No
body is going to be heightened into
voting for one side on the ground that
the success of the other is "sure ruin.
The American voter will not bear be-
ing told as he has for so many years,
that the only way to save his beloved
country and its liberties is to "vote
the straight ticket" He does not be-
lieve the country in dlnger at all. He
has make up his mind that it is
safe no matter which party wins, and
that is the plain truth of the case.
The leading thought of the coun-
try" as Gen. Garfield, the republican
candidate, correctly asserted in Con-
gress is how to increase our prosper
ity. We take the liberty once more to
Recommend his excellent statement to
to the republican organs, and advise
them to place it at the head OF their
columns. Here it is
II want to say another thing. SO
far as | have studied the current OF
public thought and of political feeling
in this country no feeling has shown
itself in this country no feeling has
shown itself more Strongly than the
tendency Of the public mind in the
past few months. The man who at
tempts to get up political excitement
in this country ON the old sectional is
sues will find himself without a party
and without support. The man who
to serve his country must put himself
in the line of it's leading thought, and
that is the restoration of business,
thrade, commerce, industry, sound po-
litical economy, hard money and hon
est payment of all obligations, and the
man who can add anything in the di-
rection of the accomplishment of any
of these purposes is public benefac-
tor"
That is it-"The restoration of bus
mess, trade, commerce, industry, sound
political economy, hard money and
honest payment of all obligations" "
That is the keynote of the canvass /;
and, as the republican candidate warns
his organs "The man who attempts
to get up a political excitement in this
country on the old sectional issues will
find himself without party and with
out support"
Suppose now the organs of both par
ties should place Garfeld's words at
the head of their columns Suppose
the orators of both parties should take
them as the text of their speeches !?
Suppose they should become by COM
mon consent, as they ought to be, the
basis of the great contention which is
to continue until next November
would that stop discussion, or take
away the distinction between the two
parties? Not at all. 1t would only
place the canvass ON sound and SEN
sible footing. The question would still
remain, how. by what policy, are these
ends to be best and most surely at
taind? The country would be happy,
because it would see that both parties
were concerning themselves, for once,
with the care of its real interests. The
political debates would once more be
interesting and important. .-Neec, York
Herald