, 1883-04-21
TEE PARTF IN P0BER.

Ina leading editorial, the San Fran
cisco Cal. OF rsesn: da:e, aptly remarks
,b,. thecs has been some discussion in
the eas: as to the necessity Of forming a
neS party to carry out needed reforms
4 certain professional ref0rTer Gays thai
neither f The parties Low IN existence
Will j.. f,r the reason that the Repuhli-
cans dis:I.c,Ivsly represent money, shiie
the Dem. crsts DO rot dis:inctirely repr
sen: .uy,h:ug or anyb'Gy. 4 ieaing Re
publican defends h's party, assuniing that
i;s alliance si;h money IS one Of the con
seouenoc, Of us being the party in power
In other words, money, always SonserTa
.ive. attaches itself to whs'ever party has
been long enough IL power to demon
strate is ability 70 govern the country so
Is 70 avoid financial eonvul>ipn. Ii the
Republican party had made no closer al
lance with money than is thus outlined,
the people would have no quarrel with 1t.
The charge against the party is that It has
permitted great corporations 10 direct It's
policy, aud that under their direction
legislation has uniformly beea in the IN
terests Of capital, 50 far as such interests
are opposed to those Of labor. The doubt
as to the usefulness Of the Democratic
partg, as an agent for the overthrow of
the Republicans, arises from very dis
tlnct blending # interests and purposes
among the leaders Of both parties. i
large and influential portion OF the Demo
cratic party, as represented IN congress,
is as completely under the Influence of
money as any Republican that can be
mentioned. Thus We find Democrats vot-
ing with Republicans in favor OF such
measures as Chinese immigration, the
demone;lzation OF silver, and exemption
of the property OF corporations from a
lust share Of taxes The New York ele
waited railroad case was test of the De-
mocracy of that state. The simple prop
osition was that the company should de-
clare dividends only on the capital actual
" paid in, and in that Gov. Cleveland and
the legislature went to pieces. 4 Republi-
can governor and legislature could have
done no more. 1t is argued, and with
some force, that there is no sense IN 60
ing into a contest against the aggression
of organized capital with leaders who will
give the battle to their opponents, if there
ever comes time when they can At
the present time very reasonable stand
against the aggression OF organized capt.
tai will satisfy the mass of the people.
These acgressions have not yet aroused
the people to anger. There is very gen.
eral idea that corporations should be ie-
quired to submit TO las, but little or no
disposition TO "cinch" them. IL organ
ized capital grows aggressive and imper-
ious, As there are signs that it will, there
will be more temper and less reason in
the methods proposed to subject it to
law hepe0ple are now occasionally in
formed that tho rights Of property are
too sacred to be subjet TO the caprice of
the public. The interests Of the public,
il is urged, are in many cases opposed TO
the interests OF the corporations, and con-
sequently the public is not just judge
in disputes arising between them. To
this argument the answer may he given
that human life and liberty are at the
caprice of the public. Exact justice may
not in all cases be done either in dealing
with life or property, bat property is no
more exposed to danger than life or lib
erty. Whatever party may be in power
IS. from the force of circumstances, con-
servative, but when the patty out Of
power Is conservative TO nearly the same
degree, there is little chance for lively
contest between them.