Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-07-16
POPULAR FEELING FOR A CHANGE

POPULAR FEELING FOR A CHANGE.
The nomination of Cleveland and Hen
bricks to the Presidency and Vice-Presidency
of the United States has been received every
where with approval not only by the dem
ocratic party generally, but BY many indie
pendent republicans who regard the repub-
lican nominees for the same high Offices as
unworthy of their support. The truth is
that the conservative sentiment ofthe ccuu-
try for several years past has been steadily
tending toward change, and has only wait
ed the coming OF the opportunity to give
expression to this feeling. The republican
party has not maintained the prestige with
which as d party of principle it came out OF
the war. Year after year its record ut
Washington has been go burdened with the
misdeeds of its chosen agents that lis
continuance in power has become sort OF
political miracle. 1t is in the nature of all
civil wars, and especially one ofSuch mag
nitude as ours, ~ disorganize institutions
and demoralize the victors. But it is high
time to demand a halt in the march of de-
moraliZalion. The moral sense of the better
class of republicans has revolted against the
corrupt practices whereby the government
protesting republican principles while bring
ing dishonor on the party whose highest
claim to popular support they had so gross
ly abused. For any one political party to
keep control of the government for long
series of years is, in these days, when the
country is rich and populous beyond prece-
dent and hundreds of millions ofdollars are
annually CURED into the treasury, far more
DANCE rols than at that earlier period when
the country was poor and the population
relatively small, and more thought was CIV
en- by the people to the character and quail
fcations OF those who should represent them.
1t is to this wealth, this expansion of popula-
ton and to those evils that war brings in its
train Joined to the possession of absolute
power by one political party for more than
| two-thirds of q generation, we owe that de-
cline in public morals of which the people
complain, and that desire for a change
which springs from the hope that through
such change the affairs of government will
| be administered more in accordance with
the principles of purity and economy on
which it was originally founded. Even in
these days the old traditions of wise and
prudent government have not entirely fad
ed from the memory of large numbers of
our people. They have become embalmed
in history, and the lessons they teach we
have now once more the opportunity offer
cd us of putting into practice. The change
the people want is not from bad to worse,
but from what they have found to be bad to
something better. The cry for reform is in
the air, and it has been demonstrated that
no substantial reform is possible without ~
change in the administration of the govern
ment With but two political parties in
| Il tlo nbop hn
in the substitution of one for the other.
The country is at peace. All the States OF
the union are exercising in their respective
spheres the functions of government unmo-
Tested, the old feuds are dead, there is now
manifested between them better spirit of
fraternity than there ever was before, and
if reform is to come, it must be through the
party that has raised the banner of reform
and through putting fresh men in high Off
cial stations and at the helm ofgovernmeut
Baltimore SIN.