Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-11-25
How the Party Has Been Served
Best.
Milwaukee Sentinel.

walton. This stand il not without it's
patriotic reasoning, for it is alleged
that the country. can only be served
through the party. Ii is however
90 closely connected with apparent
selfish motives, that tho patriotic
reasoning is not SO generally per.
cepiible as the supporters of the the
Org wish that it was. The other
class OF political philosophers allud-
ed TO claim that party considerations
should be sunk, and that the states,
man should act with The single pur-
pose of beneftting his country,
whether the party suffers thereby
or not. For long time it vas ap.
parently the common und rstandine
that these two Gets Of political phil
osophers were necessarily moro or
less directly opposed 10 each other.
In this situation President HAYES.
like Desdemons, did "perceIge a di-
vided duty" and, under the pressure
OF the occasion, gave utterance TO
saying which will live in history
and which offsrs the only sugpes-
lion that can reconcile the divide0
bodies. That utterance was. II
serves his party best who serves hi
country best"
II this statement is true, the rec
oneiliation of the two ideas is com
plete. By saying that he will do
the most toward prolonging the
power of party who makes tba,
party act for the best interests of
the country, . high tribute is paid
to the people. 1t also points cut
sim pie straightforward course which
can be understood and appreciated,
end with which the cunning expeai.
ents of political trlcksters, with
their wire pulling, so.oalled shrewd
ness and patronage compares very
unfavorabIy, either in dignity or
power. 1t is but restatement of
the old adage that "Ho neatly is the
best policy" or that there is nothing
so shrewd as honesty, or thai, Is
Wolsey said, corruption wins not
more than honesty" There are
some evidences at hand to show that
the men who work By the usual
methods of patronage and rewards,
ard who claim to BIO the true con-
servators OF party interests, ere the
very ones who damage inateaG Of
assist their party. During tho &c
ond term Of Gen. Grants admins.
tration the peculiar tactics Of that
school Of politicians reached a high
stete Of development. The machine
was about IS perfect as it eonld be
made, and whom ii stood in ita great.
est state of alleged usefulness the
people seat an astonishing Dsmo-
cratic majority 10 the House of Rep
resentatives. Not thai the Demo
cratic party would hsve acted any
better under the same oircumssan-
cee, but because their obnoxious
traits in the machine business had
bad no chance of being advertised
for number Of years. Then also
the Presidency came very near slip.
ping from the grasp Of E party
which tour years before appeared to
be almost nnasssila bls.
1t will bs claimed 1hat tie hard
times had something to do wilh the
change; and no doubt they did. but
not ell to do with it By any means.
Mr. Tilden received the decided ma.
jority OF the popular vote as count
ed. (aftar the Louisiana and other
disputed returns had been thrown
ont by the Republican returning
hoards) Of 157 1874 over all. Gen.
Grant received popular majority
over all, four years before. 1T 962.
991. The year Gen, Garfield r..
c.ives a decided popular m j9ritV
wilhou: any dispute that amounts
to anything Nov while President
Hayes has net been thorough snd
systematic in bis policy regarding
the aboliti of the patronage pIsn
be has done mnch IN that diree ion
The "machine" NOR have hed hitle
or no influence vi h him. S much
50 has this been the case that thar.
has been an almost cpgn breeoh be
tween them. when the Chica o.
Convention was held, Gen Graz
was so unforf innate a. 10 be in the
handa If hose orpa al ~ Pra.idant
H4yes' theories IF Gen. Grant had
not been identified with these mer
be wouli have stood better
chance of being nominated. ltw was
ConkIing Logan and; Cameron that
the delegates voted down rather
shan Grant. Gen. Garfield was
nominated bv the opponents of the
machine. They held the balance of
power between the Blaine tina
ohine" and the ConkliDg "macbine."
and won by standing out. Thus
Garfield was presented TO the PEG.
pie as q candidate who was not
weighed down by a "maohine" rec
ord; and he was triumphantlv
elected. Again it will be sa;d that
the condition Of the country had all
to do with the change but credit
ing thai with all that Is due to IL
and allowing for other cauaes. there
ia still wide margin left to be
credited to President Hayes i'm
proved methods of WELDING the
executive power, and pronouncing
ags inst the "machine" This excel,
lence Of the record of the present
administration. the pure atmosphere
Of the White House, he breskin
away from "machine" control al
tended fit did not wholly, bringing
ABOUT the change ia popular senti-
ment toward the Republican party
and"1ts recent victory.
There is fair verifcation in
these facts, of the truth of President
Hayes uttersnce. that "Ha serves
bis party best, who serves his conn
try best" Circumstances indicate
that President Hayes has done good
to the party while Senator Conk-
ling and his school have isiured it.
There IS proper food for reflection
in these things for Gao. Garfield,
and he is known to be 500 obeervaat
a mar not to be cogaizana Of lhem
Il is altogether likely thss the Pres
ijent-elect will give bis adhesion to
the most distinguished sentiment
which President Hayes has uttered
sad at the same time avoid the