The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-05-25
THE WAR IN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY-ITS LESSONS.

THE WAX IN THE REP OBLlCAH
PARTY-ITS LESSONS.
In the last Presidential election the Re
publican party, by corruption and fraud,
cured a majority of the electoral votes for its
candidates. and for second time succeeded
in grasping and holding the reins of govern
ment in defiance of the popular will. 1t is
not three months since the Inauguration of
President Garfield, and yet the country has
been convulsed from center to circumfer-
ence by the internal discord of the party that
placed him in power. Ex-senator Conkling,
one of the ablest and most trusted leaders of
the party. is in open rebellion against the
Administration, and all its powers are act
lively engaged in the attempt to crush him
and his friends. From the time it was
known that Mr. Blaine had been selected as
the Premier of the new Administration,
those who were at all conversant with the
internal condition of the Republican party
knew that il was only a question OF time
when the smoldering fires of discord would
break forth.
1t was an open secret that the nomination
of General Garfield was tolerated by the Stall
warts of the party, of whom Mr.. Conkling
was the chief, only because of the party ne
ceSsity. 1t was this or humiliation, and
they preferred the precarious loan of power,
while the election of General Garfield gave
promise OF the overthrow Of their party at
that time, trusting to the future TO regain
their control over the party. 1t was I'M
questOnably the purpose OF the Stalwarts to
apply to General Garfield the one-term prin-
ciple, and at the end of his term to renew
their experiment of a third term in favor of
General Grant against all corners or goers."
A Cabinet under the leadership OF ex-Sen-
ator Blaine meant war for the succession.
The war was bound to come, but the out
break was sooner than was anticipated. 1t
was precipitated by the President by nomi-
mating to the Senate for the most potential
office in the State of New York the man
whose course before and conduct at the Chi
cago Convention had made the nomination
of General Grant at that time impossible,
and, consequently, had been the main
cause of the nomination of General
Garfield. This move was undoubtedly
made under the inspiration of Secretary
Blaine, and was in direct violation of
the sentiments expressed by the President
lin his inaugural address) on the subject of
civil service, as the incumbent of the office,
himself an anti-Conkling man. was in the
middle of his term, and no dereliction of
official duty had been charged against him.
1t is also charged that the act was in viola
ton of the express promise of the President
to the Senators from New York, made but
few hours before; but the most ardent adj
mirers of President Garfield seem to think
his chiefmerit consists in his ''punic faith"
We are not in any sense partisans of Mr..
Conkling in his war with the AdminIstra-
ton he did so much to set up and establish.
His arrogance and pride are too well known
to the country, and more than balance his
acknowledged ability. If he had been more
of statesman and less of a partisan, he
would not have lent his great abilities as a
man whom he did not at any time put
faith in, and he would not now be realizing
the bitterness of dead Sea fruits" and so
tempting to the eye. Politically, we have
regarded Mr.. Conkling as the ablest
and most INSCRIPTIONS champion of the
worst political party that ever afflicted our
country-a party whose baneful influence is
tending rapidly to a decadence in the politi-
cal morals of our country, which, if not
checked, will end in the overthrow of our
present form of Government, or place all
OF its political power in the hands of a
governing class with whom money will be
omnipotent. Since, within the short period
of four years, Mr.. Conkling has stifled his
convictions to keep his party in power, and
when the Electoral Commission had out
ragged every principle of right and justice in
deciding that the electoral vote of Louisiana
should be counted for Hayes and Wheeler
over popular majority of nearly 5000, and
again when in the last Presidential contest
he threw himself into the breach to save
General Garfield from defeat, when he knew
him to be unworthy of any trust or conf
dence. therefore, If, he should fall like
Lucifer," never to rise again, we will rejoice
that one of the chief luminaries of q
bad cause has disappeared from the
political armament. But if this contention
in the Republican party shall result in max
ing manifest to the people the corruption
that is fostering there, and which threatens
to spread throughout the whole political
body, and if the people will profit by the
lesson it teaches, the country should rejoice
that the ex-Senators have at last unmasked
their party and exposed its hideous face to
the public gaze.
Some facts have already been developed
that ought to be indelibly stamped upon
the public mind. 1t was known to the coun