The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-17
Party HARMONY.


While it is not easy to specify all the con-
ditions which operate to secure harmony in
political party, some of them are obvious.
Discomfort and division are not always pro-
duced by the same causes, but some things
that tend to discomfort are known and wise
politicians are careful to avoid them. The
condition of party in respect of unity does
not always depend upon things for which it
is responsible. When the issues between
parties are few and are both important and
well-defned, men take sides with decis
lon and often with enthusiasm as well as
with intelligence. Those of the same way
of thinking concerning essential matters
are willing to postpone, for the time being,
consideration of the matters about which
they disagree. AT such a time there is not
much occasion for "party discipline" There
are few Independents, so-called. If any
body thinks one party is quite right he
must think the other is quite wrong, and if
he changes his mind he goes over to the 9TH
er side.
1t is when the issues between parties are
various, and are not supremacy important or
not very clearly defined, that the lines can
not be sharply drawn. Then men hesitate
whether they will act with one party or the
other seeing both striving for some things
they desire to have accomplished, both
seeking other ends which they do not APP
prove, and, perhaps, both declining to have
anvthinr IN dn with Soma ~, ,44ars +bn,,
important to the public welfare. Then men
become Indifferent to party success, and
hold themselves aloof from any condition Of
fealty or responsibility voting with one party
or another from personal motives or in
rurtherance of some temporary policy, or
possibly organizing third parties by which
they hope either to compel one of the old
parties to adopt their views, or to establish
an agency powerful enough to carry them
into effect ITSELF
There are some analogies bet sesn polit-
ical party and an army, but they are not
very substantial and may not be pushed
very strenuously. They are rather fanciful
than actual, rather rhetorical than organic.
A political party is wholly voluntary asso-
citation of men to advance a certain policy
In public affairs. The policy may be gener-
al or specific. Those who support il will
probably understand its reason and its effect
with different degrees of clearness. When
any Misunderstanding as to aims becomes
apparent, ,one aim being accomplished, the
members Of the party seek different things
or strive to have different things accom-
plished next, the party begins to be disor-
ganised. The rivalries of ambitious leaders
for Office are Sufficient sometimes to disrupt
the ties of union. This is quite certain to
be the case when aspiring candidates imag-
Inc that the party is so deeply in their debt
that they have a right to press for pay
nent.
Men who have not taken Office in party
and men who are not seeking Office &C.
knowledge no obligation to act with a party
any further than they judge it is serving the
ends they desire to promote. Having joined
aparty they are not bound to help it pre-
vent the objects for which they joined it,
and will judge for themselves whether or
not given course has that tendency. They
have not enlisted for life or for certain
fixed term. They have entered into no con-
tract express or implied. They have not
promised implicit obedience and submission
to any dictator or boss, any caucus or con-
yention. They have taken no oath. They
are under no obligation of any kind
- Io
judgment tells them 1t is right and patriotic
to vote another way. Joining party is not
like joining the Roman Catholic church and
surrendering the right of private judgment.
There are two classes of motives which
control the political conduct of men, one
class comprises public motives the other pri-
vate or selfish motives. 1t may be regarded
as general rule, having no exceptions
that parties will be harmonious and strong
in proportion as all men see and believe
that public considerations have more weight
with those directing the party's course than
selfish considerations have, that the leaders
account the advancement and establishment
of the party's principles more desirable than
their own success in gaining offices and hon.
ors. When men instead of serving the party
set about intriguing to use the party to serve
themselves, it is quite natural and quite
right that the men who act with a party not
fer profit or for office but because they wish
to have certain public policies prevail should
lose confidence in it as an agency to accom-
lish their purposes.
The Republican party was beaten last
Fall in several great States not because the
people were any lesa favorable to the gener-
al principles and aims of the party than in
1880 when 1t was victorious in the same
States, but simply because ambitious leaders
were using the party, Or attempt
ing to use it, for selfish ends. Not the voters
but the efice holders and leaders destroyed
harmony. The party was turned into ma
chine for electing certain men to office, and
q few hundred thousand unambiIious citizens
said to themselves that they did not
care to be used for that purpose. After the
proceedings of the Cameron crowd in Penn
sylvania and the stalwart crowd in New
York II was quite useless for committees to
appeal for hormony and to threaten to dis
eipline recalcitrants. Honest men did not
care to "harmonize" with men who had de-
liberately cheated them, and as for being
punished they laughed at the threats as they
could we'll afford to do. After the elections the
men in these States who had breathed forth
threatenings were not powerful enough to
hurt anybody, aud they now appear to be
wise enough to know that their only chance
of being powerful again is by the favor Of
those they attempted to bully. They have
become very complaisant They are not
disciplining anybody this year, but are di-
costing the discipline that was administered
to them and seeking harmony by reasonable
proceedings.
The Republican party can 90 into the
Presidential election next year thoroughly
united and with the chances altogether in
its favor if its leaders will deal sincerely and
unselfishly with its voters. 1t must be not
less the party of equal rights, sound cur
rency and wise tariff than it has been; but
it must accept in good faith, and not
shirk, the new issues of the time. 1t must
advance and not retreat. 1t must have can