Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-12-01
OLYMPIA. FRIDAY LiE\IM. PEG. /. 1872
Probable End OF Ring Rule.

correct estimate of Mr.. Arthur when
he removed him from the New York |
custom house as man unfit to hold |
any important public position. y
revelation of the WAYS and means |
employed i'll the foflGne hope Of car
Tying New York, show that the ex-
allied position he now holds has bv
no means ennobled the man, ard he
is still the inscriptions ward pollti |
clan lie has invariably shown himself
to be whenever circumstances have
brought him to public view. When
Conklins and Plat cut their noses
off by resisning their seats i'll the T.
S. Senate, Mr.. Arthur SO far forgot
the dignity of the second Office of
the country as to appear in the role
of lobbyist at Albany to secure their
reelection, in opposition to the Adj
ministration of which he was part
The humiliation of defeat did not |
teach him to make q wise use of the
opportunities which subsequent
events placed within bis grasp. 1t
seems to have been utterly impossi-
bic for him to rise superior to his
narrow, selfish impulses. The nomi
nation of his pet Foieer against the
wishes of of the people, affords an
other illustration of the weakness of
a Sampson when shorne of his locks,
the impotency of most exalted posi-
ton, unsupported by the virtues
which constitute the base of all sue
cessful governments. The fortnight
preceding election lie took up his
quarters in New York city, and man
aged in person all the details of the
canvass, even going into the ward
political caucuses, like any other
party striker, and dictated nomina
tons and Withdrawals, and the pre-
ciso places where the money should
be put to do the most good. A Sec
ond time he has met with singing
rebuke.
It is such actions as these which
indicate that no hope of future good
can result from perpetuating the
boss system. 1t such exhibitions of
iron rule which has led the people to
strike the letters Of party from their
limbs before they were riveted too
firmly to resist the effort.
1t was of this situation that the
Rev. James Freeman Clark spoke,
in his Boston pulpit, just before the
election. This sincere and able
preacher, who has been a Republi-
can ever since the party was organ
lied, then felt impelled to speak out
in this impressive language:
The machine Is for the party's welfare
so long M it is controlled by its ideas. As
soon as the political machine suhOrdinates
the mind and principle of the party to tie
thought Of securing its own perpetuity,
then does It destroy the only real cause
for its existence. Members of Congress
forget what is due to the calm deliberatiOn
OF great national questions in their efforts
to secure q reelection by making q record
acceptable, as they believe, to their cOnsti-
uencies. Caucuses instead of representing
the wishes OF the people, are packed in the
interest of The machine and machine can
didates. Leaders take upon themselves
despOtic authority and reward or destroy
those they wish. The Federal Govern
ment interferes in State politics. This in
reference has been carried to such an eX-
tent that letter carriers were instructed to
deliver circulars calling upon subscribers
t. newspaper that had resented the Fed
eral Governments inter mingling in the
political affairs of the State to withdraw
may live Oh its own reputation for some
time, but its final destruction is over
hadowed, unless the honest men snatch
from the machine and. instituting re-
orIns, endOw it with a new life.
The Republican party has "lived
upon its own reputation until its
whole organization has become cor
rupt. 1t has outlived its day of use
fulness. The barriers have been
broken down. Honest men every
where have united with their former
political opponents, to institute re.
form which they have sought in vain
within the pale of their own party.
The prejudices which have existed
are found to be mere phantoms which
disappear on near approach. The
crisis has passed, and let us hope
that the danger is over. If the peo-
pie act unitedly, as they have in the
late contests, no serious apprehen-
sion need be entertained of the final
result.