Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-18
Thursday, Jan. IS, 1888.
THE POLITICAL sTTUATTON. ,

1
 The political situation is discussed in an
 interesting way in the current number of tho l NortA AnaeqScGn ReUies0 by George s. Bout
 well and Horatio Seymour. MT. Boutwell,
 does not consider the recent overthrow of I the Republican party an exceptional event in
 political affairs, nor does he think it neees. 1 sary to believe that it's days of power are
 past. The great error of the party, in his l opinion, and an error whose fruits have not
 yet been gathered, vas in it's neglect to revise the tariff and revenue systems when the
 country was restored to prosperity ; or. if it
 were not then possible, at the earliest mo-
 ment after the restoration of the Republicans
 to power. The second of the two great
 errors of the Republican party has been it's neglect to consider the subject of Civil Ser
 vice Reform. Naturally. Mir. Seymoursdoes not look at the situation as Mir. Boutwell, does. He thinks that the chief trouble with the Repub-
 lioan party and the country is cantralization
 He says that since standardization became in
 trenched the lobby has grown supreme, and
 agents of corruption, stronger than presi-
 dents and senators and congressman, have
 established themselves at the capital, and be-
 cause of their superior knowledge of people
 and the general machinery of operation, have
 become the real rulers of the people and dis
 tributors of the taxes that they pay. MT.
 Seymour gives honest and thoughtful Repub- hcans credit for 8 desire to emaneipase them selves from the results of their own party teachings. This feeling, he thinks, accounts for the result at the last election, and he says: It has burst the strong bond which held to gether the Republican organization. A party which has doubts about the correctness of it's views loses the power to adjust it's contro. versies. Should they be adjusted the tap of the drum will not call citizens back to it's ranks. I say this, not because would throw discredit upon the Republican party; on the contrary, the sentiments which govern large numbers of it's members are patriotic and honorable, as are their efforts to check abuses which have grown out of mistaken views of policy. It would be an insult to say that they were governed by their pas. sions or personal interests. No the results of the election of 1882 were not due to local 1 causes or controversies. They wore the pro. | duct of general belief that the doctrines of | centralization have fostered serpents' eggs where they were expected to give strength to | our union. We have reports of corruption l not only in the postoffice, in the signal ser vice. and in the police force designed to pro- | tect the property of the public from wrongs | and robberies, but also in the use and collec- tion of political assessments, which congress men claim they have right to make, while eI., cials. Other departments, where there are. greater temptations, are yet to be looked into.
 MT. Boutwell, is undoubtedly right in his belief that the Republican party ought to have revised the tariff and revenue systems and been more ready to pay attention to Civil Service reform. Mir. Seymour's explanation of the situation is ingenious, and will find mapy .eIievers, but it does not seem top us to ds G-2hs gfou11k