The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-03-18
Tho Faction Fight.

The condition of the republican party to-
day Is Que ot the most remarkable spectAcles
IN the history OF politics. That of the Demo.
cratic party In 1860, preceding the great catas-
,rophc which swept it from power, is more
nearly Il parallel than any other; but 1t is not
IL complete one. The difference between the
tw" wings OF the democratic party at that time
WI. d ference Of political principle In rela-
ton Ia The extension OF slavery; while the
present difference between the two wings of
'hc republican party relates only to the spolls
~ office and the ambitions of rival leaders.
The republican party has been in power so
long that It has ceased to be republican except
IN nam. 1t has no longer any higher aspira-
tion than To hold office and digest patronage
no policy but that of Capitalization, with the
na,ur. incidents of jobbery and corruption
upon u national scale. It's great leaders do
not contend with one another over questions
nf ecouomy or Of constitutional construction.
They are simply divided over the distribution
Of The common plumber. A great principle,
one of the most sacred traditions OF American
liberty, was, it ID true involved in the struggle
at Chicago; but It can scarcely be SAID to have
been met with the overthrow of Grant. Oppo.
sltlon to third term, pure and simple, bad
very little 10 do with the defeat of the Old
Guard by the narrow majority arrayed against
1t after many days OF doubtful conflict. Even
Mr. Blaine never committed himself unequivo-
cally against the third term-never de-.
clared that no would vote against Grant If
nominated. The result, so far as the repabli.
can party was concerned, determined almost
nothing as to the only principle or likeness Of
principle that entered into the fight
The third,termers supported Garfield precise
ly as Garfield would have supported Grant
had the latter been the nominee instead OF the
former. They waited, sulked, threatened; and
then, seeing the Garfield members in suffi.
cienty desperate state, they made their own
terms, and, throwing themselves into the
contest at the critical moment won it Ostensl.
bly, for Carried, really for Grant and themselves.
The treaty at Mentor was reality. 1t made
republican victory possible after deIeat had
been confessed and the stalwarts were justly
lncensed when every obligation arising out of
the bargain was either ignored or trampled
under the heels of the triumphant faction.
Mr. Blaine had his day under Garfield, and
was neither modest nor moderate in his use Of
his opportunity. Now the stalwarts have
theirs The exiles are recalled. The Old
Guard has, by the fortune of war, risen from
the sunken ditch and swept the field. Its
chieilans are singled Out for executive favor
to the exclusion of the half breeds, who but
the other day had them under foot. And if
the history Of Arthur's few months in the
White House were now TO be written by the
outlawed halt breed, he would simply borrow
with change of names the story OF Garfeld's
bret term rs it was written by an exlled stall.
wart Situations are precisely reversed, and
the rancor of the halt breed is even worse than
was that of the stalwart.
The president having nominated for high
Office tina, republican who has done his party
more distinguished and valuable service than
any other man, his action is greeted with a
concerted howl of indignation by the half
breed newspapers, and by passionate and
malignant assault in the senate, 1t seems that
nothing indicates so clearly the intensity of
feeling between the factions as the unreasOna-
BILE and terocious denuncation Of this ap.
pontment Things must change If the next
republican convention be not even more in
harmonious than the last One.-N. y. Saa.