Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-09

obedient vassals, and obedient vassals are
not found in the higher ranks of any civil.
lied community. When party is man.
aged with single eye to the promotion
of the measures and principles it has
espoused, it is the interest of the managers
to invite the cooperation of the best minds
the organization can furnish, and to keep
up its character for disinterested public
spirit But when party is managed in
the interest Of individuals or cliques, it be.
comes desirable to exclude the best minds
from participation in its counsels, because
they cannot be induced to sanction selfish
schemes, and they will not permit them.
selves to be used for any doubtful ends. 1t
follows that what has been termed
Bossism " is inimical to good party gov
eminent, and this fact has had very much
to do with the Democratic successes at the
East. Republicans in the Boss ridden
States have for some time been chatting
against the humiliation of their position.
They were cajoled during several years
into trusting to The ignis .Jatuus of ere.
form within the party" They found at
last that this only meant the perpetuation
of " Bossism," and when they realized that
they refused longer to submit to the
Bosses" and rose against them.
Under other circumstances it might
fairly be commended that having got rid of
"Bossism" by this heroic remedy, the Re.
publicans would rest content with their old
organization. But the moment The
"Bosses" are got rid OF, it must be discov-
cred that for several years past the party
! has really been subsisting upon the struct-
ure Of make. believes set up by that class of
politiciaRs. The Bosses" undertook 10
Hsrrtsa the psfftS after it had ceased to
| possess any issues. But more disinter.
ested set Of men would not undertake such
an enterprise. A party, in short, cannot
| be honestly maintained &c default OF living
issues. The Republican party has no liv.
ing issues to-day and it has just thrown
off the rule of the " Bosses :" und or these
circumstances we do not see how it can be
expected to cohere much longer, unless
indeed its better minds are prepared to
supply it with new views. Nor are these
the only considerations which suggest
themselves. The Republican party has
been rent open in several States. In New
York, in Pennsylvania, in Ohio, in Califor.
mia, for example, the seeds of intestine
strife have been freely sown during the late
canvass. Now party schisms of this kind
are among the most obstinate suarrels
that occur. Involving as they do selfish
interests, poiitica! ambition, the lust of
power, the hope of Office, they appeal most
strongly to mems passions, and they prove
singularly difficult of treatment. 1t may
therefore well be doubted whether it is
reasonable to expect a reaction before the
Presidential canvass of 1884; whether,
that is to say, the Republican party can
be reunited so as to enter that contest with
restored harmony and discipline.
1t is certainly not probable that the pol.
iticians who have just been defeated will
be anxious to assist their conquerors in
preparing to meet the Democrats again.
| Whoever believes in Bossism" will
resist its overthrow, and will be unwilling
to bury it deeper by aiding its destroyers
to achieve victory under the new condi.
tions. Considering, then, that the Repub.
licans who have just turned against their
party in order to defeat "Bossism" can.
not be expected to countenance a contest
without issues and considering that the
friends of Bossism" cannot be expected
to be the friends of its triumphant foes it
must be conceded that the outlook for the
future is not particularly bright. In fact
it seems perfectly credible that iuncture
may have been reached at which the sign
"No Thoroughfare confronts the Ma.
tional Republican party. And though
superficial glance at the Democratic situa.
ton may appear to negative the suppose.
ton that that party too approaches disin.
tegration, more careful scrutiny will
satisfy the observer that decay also has
seized upon the Democracy.
That party has, it is true, more ma.
chine-like and unreasoning discipline than
its opponent. 1t votes more like a mill.
tary than political organization as if the
rank-and.file were not allowed to think for
themselves, but could only obey orders.
But it is one of the essential conditions of
healthy national life that this intellectual
element should be in the minority. and as
fact it is in the minority. For many
years Democratic successes have only rep.
resented Republican disaffection. There is
no possibility al harmony between the
natural Republican and the natural Demo.
crat. Oil and water will mix sooner. 9u.
the Republicans have long byen compelled
to punish their oyeieaders by putting
Democrats in their places, and it is upon
this fsskfious support that the Democracy
n9w lives. Upon such Fictitious support,
however, no party can long maintain itself.
The Democrats have no issues and no prin.
ciples. They are only less corrupt than
the Republican Bosses because thew
have had fewer opportunities. And when
new party takes the field, with new and
living issues, the old Democratic party
will have to be Reconstructed to meet the
emergency, and while it must retain its
more stable land stupidl elements by the
force OF gravitation, it viii be compelled
to infuse new life into its management, and
Lew idea'. The time, in short, is propi.
tious to the evolu bon of new parties. The
usefulness and the reasons for existence of
the old ones hsve disappeared. They
are to-day organizations without definite
purposes or without purposes which are
not against puhlse policy. They cannot
continue to exist 10 this anomalous condi.
tion. In the absence of issues reform is
impossible to them. And it is quite posi-.
BILE that the political upheaval which has
just occurred may mark an important stage
in the process Of transformation and regen.
Grafton.