New-York tribune., 1881-12-27
alude to the United States as possessing
great military power?
pEprRiJc4y RECRUITING GROUND.

| the Republican party in the United states Is
IN striking contrast with the rapid fluctuations
of political opinion in other countries IN
! Great Britain the historical parties succeed
each other after regular intervals. AS soon as
! the Liberals have set mp some great Iahdm'rK
! of progrcss. such rs n Reform Act foof
| Law, or a National system OF education ihe
constituencies rccede from the advanced po-
| sitions and there is temporary reaction IN
pubIic sentiment which enables the Conserva-
! hycs 10 return 10 power. In Germany the
| Conservatives, who had steadily lost ground
during the eight years which followed the eS-
| tabhshment of the Empire, suddenly improved
their position after thercection of the Antl-So-
! ci9list Act. but have been again defeated during
| the present year. In Belgium the Liberals
and Clericals are alternately victorious ana
unsuccessful. The Hungarian Liberals are
| firmly intrenched in Office but III Austria the
! Constitutonalists, after retaining polltcal as
| tendency for twelve years were deInor'llH'u
! 10y success and finally oyerthrown III lS9' IN
the United States, on the other hand, single
party organization has controlled the National
| Administration, and with the exception OF a
! brief transition period the Houses of Congress
| as well, for twcnty-one years, ana, not"lth-
| standing its prolonged official term and con-
tinuous success, is to-day strong, yirlIe and
| thoroughly equipped for another quarter CEN
| tury of political power.
Colonel John Hay finds no difficulty in ac-
| counting for the uninterrupted success oi the
! Republican panty. in the course OF his ad-
mrable address delivered before the Young
Mems Republican League of Cleveland on
Saturday last hc explained why it Is that every
year finds the party increasing IN numbers
and rcinvigorated in political Influence. II Is
because thousands of young men become
voters from year to year, and the vast ma
iolily of them vote the Republican ticket.
Take bright, Intelligent clcar-nndcd young
"felow of twcnty-onc, without any special
"rcasous for joining either party, and he is al
"most sure to become a Republican, Colonel
TTay easily proves thlt everything must lead
the new voter in that direction. No matter
how superficial his reading may have been, or
how scan'y his store of political informa-
ton. he has learned that one party has
always been on the right side in every recent
conflict of American opini0n-tiat Ii has
fought and won one great battle after another
for the prcsorva ION Of the Union against
treason and secession, for specie resumption
against reputation, and for the diycr'liicaiion
of industries, the establishment of a s.. stem OF
National banking, the completion Of internal
improvements of enormous magnitude, and
many other measures Ot enlightened policy
against which the ignorance, prejudice and
shortSightcdncss OF the country were nassrd.
He knows. moreover, that the leaders of the
heroic period Of the civil war and the men
of genuine force and established rcputa-
ton in the world of letters science, cduca-
tional progress and philanthropy have bcrn,with
surprisingly fcwcxceptioHs, uncquiyocal Rcpuh-
Leans. "Our young man" says Colonel Hay,
"must stop reading If he wants to avoid the
"utterance of Republican sentiment. Why
"should he not feel that it is a privilege 10 be-
"long to that great historic party whose past
"is brilliant with the record of glorious achieve
"ments, and whose future is A. clear and ausp-
4" cious rs "A fair morning IN spriugf
In England there is no evidence chat the
new generation is moving with united front m
the direction Of Liberalism and progress. In
deed, it has been the boast Of Conservative cs-
sayists that the strength of their party hr- in
the old and the Young, whose political con-
victiOns were formed either before or after
Liberalism was at its best. THIS explanation
makes the election Of 1850 a movement, in
the main, of middlc-agcd Wings and old
Young Radicals against the old Tories and thc
young Imprriaists or "Jingocs' Ia the
United States, on the other hand, the best
elements Of American society are constantly
masscd against the worst in every political
contest, and every year a contingent of new
voters specially fitted by education and self
development for the duties and responsibilities
of citizenship reinforces tire party of progress.
II is this that makes the Republican party 50
dominant and 50 permanent 4 force in Amcri-
can civilization. Its youth is constantly re-
newed by the TRANSMISSION of fresh Iblood from
the common schools and colleges. Republicans
can derive from such reflections not Il little en-
couragcment and inspiration. At the same
time they must not be tempted to forget that
the commanding position which the party Oc-
cupics is only to he maintained by loyal,
intelligent and conscientious effort 10 face
every now issue as it arises, and TO enlarge it,
| field of usefulness without hmcl.ing from any
Of its traditions and principles. They have
| right to count upon the new generation of
voters as their own recruits; and If they are
wise they will multiply in all the large centres
of population the agencies 10y which such pO-
ltical support is to be developed and brought
to bear in general elections. The Young
Mems Republican League in Cleveland
appears to have done excellent service,
and in Brooklyn IA similar organization
has accomplished a political revolution.
Similar associations, with subcommittee in
wards and an effective central organization,
should be established III New York first of
all, and then in Boston, and wherever the
younger element of the party is now allowing
its influence to count for little or to go utterly
to waste