The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-17
NATIONAL REPUBLICANIsM.

ton 'Edoes not prejudice their return to their
allegiance to the Republican party in future
campaigns" The imbecility of such an idea
is only equaled by the treachery which has
characterized the rebellion they now seek to
inaugurate. If the hopes of these pseudo
Republicans be realized; if the natural out
come of their emeute should follow it, and the
| Republican party should be defeated in No
vember next, it is pertinent to ask where these
reformers will go to find the Republican party,
and, having found it's shattered legions, what
the seceders, they will work for the defeat Of
the Republican party, and for no other reason
than that they have not had their way in de-
fance of the expressed will of an everwhelm-
ing majority of the party's representatives
Are they simple enough to believe that, after
such betrayal, the guards that stood firm
will welcome them back and give them the
key to the positionY Do they fatter them
| selves that there will be no prejudice"
against themY What confidence could be
asked or expected And how far would empty
professions of sincerity and loyalty go to offset
the perfdy of open and hostile betrayal to a
common enemy? The crime of Benedict Arnold
was the counterpart in military affairs of
this in political. Each and every one of the
men and journals now hostile to the party as
at present drawn up in line of battle was
professedly loyal to the party and its princi-
pies up to the hour that Blaine and Logan were
nominated by the majority in a properly con
stituted convention. Some of these very
men were delegates in that convention helped
shape its platform, voted on the admis-
sion of delegates, and had things their
own way on all questions save one,
in which the majority decided
against them. George William Curtis was
there as chairman of the New York delega-
ton, by grace of the votes of twenty-nine
Blaine delegates sent up from the State of
New York Not that the friends of Blaine
hoped to thus win him, but simply in a spirit
of fairness and fraternal feeling The Arthur
delegates voted for Martin l. Townsend and
but for the Blaine votes he got, Mr.. Curtis
would have been no more than an individual
delegate. In the same spirit of fairness, and
with no disposition to have things all their own
way, the friends of Blaine in that convention
conceded every advantage without fight, and
bad fhav haar dafaata d in tho Dor1in atiou Of
their candidate would have gone back to
their homes, each and every one of them,
selfpledged to work for the party and its
ticket without prejudice" or any show of
faltering or disloyalty. If these 'fndepend-
ent' Republicans did not tacitly agree
to support Blaine if he should
be the nominee, they had no
right in honor to ask that their favorite be
named, nor to expect that he would receive
the support of Republicans friendly to some
other candidate. And if this be cOnceded-if
factions can go into con ventions to their own
advantage and be allowed to withdraw allie
glance and to dishonor their obligations in
own interests subserved-then is the advantage
of political organization at an end and the
building of platforms an idle amusement.
The loyal millions of the Republican party
still feel that its principles and purposes are
preferable to those of any other They realize
that it would be disastrous to commit the
vast and growing interests of this republic
into the hands of that party which has been
its sworn enemy for years, and whose history
has proved it insincere at all times and in
competent at its best. The great mass
of the Republican party is still imbued
with the same patriotism, the same
devotion to party and loyalty to the nation,
that has characterized Republicans from the
days in which the party was con-
ceived and born. The feeling experienced
now is the same that has ever been felt when
comrades in-arms have proved recreant to
their trust; but with that same unfinching
determination to fight on for the right, and
that same unyielding belief that they are
right, supported by a confidence that has
never yet misled them, they will go down into
this campaign to win, realizing, as they
must, the dread alternative of defeat There
are yet five months before the election takes
place, and in that time it is to be hoped that
all or nearly all those who have been puerile
enough to dishonor themselves will see the
folly of their course, will realize the mad
ness of inviting Democratic success, and
come back where they belong. The Republic
an party is the same to-day in spirit and
purpose that it has ever been. The Demo
cratic party has not changed its spots.