Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-23

l
 election of this year is moral rather than pc l litical It concerns the national honor and l character and honesty of administration
 rather than general policies of government 1 upon which the platforms of the two parties
 do not essentially differ. No position taken | by one platform is seriously traversed by the other. Both evidently contemplate general agreement of public opinion upon subjects which have been long in controversy and in dicate an unwillingness to declare upon l other and cardinal questions views which in the present condition of opinion might seriously disturb the par ties within themselves. Parties indeed now cohere mainly by habit and tradition, and since the great issues which have divided them have been largely settled the most vital political activity has been the endeavor of good citizens in both parties to adjust them to living issues and to make them effectual agencies of political progress and reform
 The indispensable necessity of this course has been long apparent, for in time of profound
 peace at home the mob threatening national peril IS an insidious political corruption, 8
 mercenary and demoralizing spirit and ten
 dency, the result of what is well described by
 Senator Hoar of Massachusetts as the Shameless doctrine that the true way by which power should be gained in the republic
 is to bribe the public with the offices created
 for their service, and the true end for which
 it should be used and gained is the promo
 
 of personal revenge" But this doctrine nat
 urally has produced results which are still
 more alarming. The corrupt spirit and ten
 dency have so rapidly developed
 that they need political power not
 only to gratify ambition and rage,
 but to promote private gain. They deride
 appeals to the public conscience, defend the
 soiled regulations of public men by the bold
 assertion that all public men are equally
 guilty, declare that success in obtaining emi- nent position disposes of every Inputation and suspicion of wrong doing and despising all practical measures to reform the system of official patronage which fosters dishonest politics makes great party nominauy re- sponsible for prolonged and monstrous fraud, and proclaim that it is the duty of every citizen who for great and beneficent ends has habitually SUD- ported party to regard the success of the party at an election without regard to the character of those whom it selects as it's exc cutive agents to be supreme national neces- sity. A tendency more fatal to the public welfare cannot be conceived, and when by public indifference or misunderstanding their corrupt spirit is able to demand that the country shall approve it by according to it the highest honor in it's gift, every patriotic citizen must perceive that no duty could be more pressing, vital and imperative than that of baff1ing and defeating the de- mand. If the Republican convention had presented a candidate whose character and career were the pledge of resolute contest with the tendencies that we have described; if they had foretold stern dealing with po- litical corruption and vigorous correction of the vast abuses which the long and undis- turbed tenure of power by any party is sure to breed; if the success of the candidate had promised infexible honesty of adninistra- tion, of purifcation of the govern ment and elevation of the party
 
 gladly supported the nomination; but these are precisely anticipations which the nomina- tion forbids. It offers a candidate who is an unfit leader, shown by his own words and his acknowledged acts which are of official rec ord to be unworthy of respect and confidence; pecuniary gain; representative of men, methods and conduct which the public con- science condemns, and which Illustrates the very evils which honest men would reform. Such nomination does not promise in the executive chair infexible official integrity, color and wise judgment; a regard for the public welfare and unshrinking deter imitation to promote reform in the civil service and ceaselessly to pursue and punish public robbers of every kind and degree. Independent voters have generally supported Republican nominations more surely prom ising reform than those of the Democratic party. Independents, however, cannot SUD- port a nomination which is the culmination of the tendency that they would correct. Republicans cannot hope that under such leadership as we have mentioned the abuses of the past can be corrected or the party re- formed. We are very proud of the great record and services of the Republican party, but not with our consent or connivance shall that record be disgraced.
 Every party must be constantly renewed by the intelligent independence of it's own members, or it will sink from an agency to secure good government into a remorse- less despotism. The Republican party sprang from a moral sentiment. It was the party of political morality and of personal liberty. It appealed directly to the con- science of the citizen. But like all parties it was a political agency not to be worshipped, but to be carefully held to the spirit and purpose on which and for which it was or ganized. q do not know" said MT. Seward, thirty years ago, when he left the Whig party to join the Repubhcan-"I do not know ahat it will always or even long preserve its courage, it's moderation and its consistency If it shall do so it will secure and save the country. If it shall become unfaithful as all preceding parties have done, it will without sorrow or regret on my part perish as they are perishing and will give place to another true and better one' This must not be forgotten. It is with a profound conviction of it's wisdom that Republicans are faithful to their party, but holding with the great Republican fathers that political morality and purity of admins tration are more precious than party are more constrained to oppose the Republican presidential nomination in the interest of what they believe to be pure Republicanism, of the public welfare and of the honor of the American name. The Republican nomina- tion has for time superseded all other issues by raising the question of official honesty. This question cannot be avoided except upon 4Io ,o1a 4ha%4I 4Iao of1o oio al oho nf 1i-I dates need not be considered and that in order to secure party President, the mem- bers of party ought to vote for any candi- date who has been regularly nominated. This is plea beyond which party madness cannot go. There could be candidate so unfit that this plea would not demand his support and Republican success justified by an argument which defes the public con science would be the overthrow of the vital principle of the party and show that the spirit and character which created it's great traditions are rapidly perishing. Upon the practical question of the tariff and finance and other questions upon which both parties are divided within [ themselves we also are divided in opinion. | We shall vote, therefore, in the choice of rep resentatives and other officers according to our individual opinions and views and their personal character. Divided on other ques- tions united in the conviction that the fountain of office and honor should be pure and that the highest office in the country should be filled by 8 man of absolutely un- integrity. As there is no distinc- tive issue upon public policy presented for ! the consideration of the country, the ! character of the candidates becomes of l the highest importance with all citizens who { do not hold that party victory should be se- cured at any cost. While the Republican nomination presents candidate whom we ! cannot support, the Demoeraticic party pre- sents one whose name is the synonym of po itical courage and honesty and of admins ration reform He has discharged every official trust with sole regard to the public welfare and with just disregard of mere partisan and personal advantages. Which the applause and confidence of both parties have raised him from the chief executive admin stration of a great city to that of a great State, his unreserved, intel igent and sincere support of reform in the ,iv1 service has firmly established that re- form in the State and city of New York and 1is personal convictions, proved by his off ,ial acts more decisive than any possible platform declaration, are the guarantee that n it's spirit and in it's letter the reform would oe enforced in the national administration.