National Republican., 1882-11-13
Wnntcd---An Issmr.

Wantcd---An Issue.
The Republican party, organized in
1856 to stay the march of slavery into
the Territories successful in 1860 through
the rebellion of Douglas against Bour-
bon dictation, re-enforced in 1861 by the
Democratic foes of rebellion, victorious
in 1864 on the issues of the Union and
emancipation, in 1868 on equal rights
and honesty to creditors, and in 1872 on
equal suffrage and protection of the bal
lot, has since that year been going into
decline. The enthusiasm which massed
the maj ority of the voters of the country
against the Democracy during the period
of national eXaltation which commenced
with the attack on Fort Sumter in April,
1851, did not abate until in 1871, when,
the public safety being assured, there
naturally came reaction from the
great strain which had been upon the
people for a decade. Rebellion and
Slavery had been overcome, and John
sonism, which had sought TO surrender
the victory by reinstating the defeated
to political power, was trampled out i'll
disgrace. 1t was not until the country
had enjoyed years repose after Grants
first inauguration that the Republican
party began to suffer from the introduce
ton of quarres over the spoils of office.
The greed for Office alone led to the
Greeley .fdsc0, and its engineers have
not ceased since that time to foment dis.
cord over the same object. In 1872 the
Republican party had not faltered in it's
work of securing to the South the
freedom guaranteed by the constitu-
tional amendments. The people believed
in party moved by SO high purpose.
To establish the rule of lawful majorities
in every State, to the end that the Sena-
tors and Representatives who were to
frame our laws, and the electors who
were to choose our Presidents, should
only be such as could fairly command
majority of legal votes in their commune
ties, appeared to be the work of highest
importance. 1t was because the kepub-
.lican party devoted itself to this that it
had the people with it in 1872, even as
against such men as Sumner, Schurz,
Trumbull, Fenton, and Greeley.
But Immediately after that election
the work of disintegration commenced.
The pacifcation of the country and the
restoration of its industries gave way to
petty inquiries as to individual misde-
meanors, and the question of the conduct
of half dozen members in the Thirty
ninth Congress nine years before be-
came the subject of great state trial
in Congress. We had Credit Mobilier,
Pacific Mail, District of Columbia, and
other Investigations, which resulted
in bringing censurc on half dozen
individuals for acts for which the
r publican party was no more re-
sponsible than it was for their tailors'
bills. But the people were bewildered,
and hearing of no other topics connected
with the party, concluded that we had
put our best foot forward, and voted that
we did not suit them. Disorders at the
South were augmented by the encourage
ment afforded in the condition of affairs
at the North, and the policy voted for
in 1872 was reversed by the
Bourbon policy of eking out the bal
lot with the shotgun. The only unset
tied question which then threatened,
and still threatens, the repose of the Ma
ton was and is the denial by lawbreak-
ers of the supreme right of the people to
rule in portions of the South. The set
tlement of this fundamental issue by ex-
ternal force wRs tried for time because
that seemed the only remedy. That ex-
pertinent resulted in failure, and the next
and better reliance seemed to be the disin-
tegrnting forces in the Democratic party,
causing the separation of the progressives
from the reactionary element The OBJ
viously wise thing to do was for the
Northern Republicans to make haste to
frltcrnize with the men who thus turned
their backs on the incorrigible Bourbons.
This has been done to great extent, but
some mere spoilsmen have snarled at it
as dogs snarl at other dogs that threaten
10 take the bones they are gnawing.
TO cut short the story, the question in
the Republican party for several years
past has been: Who shall get office?
Now, u party may have leaders and dis
turbers. 1t may contain organizers and
disorganizers, regulars and boilers, ma
chine politicians and reformers, but the
great body of the people divide on CUES
.ions, and when those who represent
a party forgets its origin and quarrel
over tho bones in the party kitchen
they will after while find themselves in
sole possession of the establishment,
The Republicans who vote the ticket at
such times do SO in the hope that the
party may in the future again represent
the hopes and resolves of the millions
who ought to rule. If our party lead
ers would now divine the instincts
and sympathize with the aspirations of
the people preparatory to reorganization,
they must not seek knowledge from
spoilsmen calling themselves party men,
or spoilsmen calling themselves Reform
ers. Both are like the youth that thun-
dered at the playhouse in shakspeare,s