Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1884-08-07
THE INDEPEN DENTS.
DECLARATION OF INDEPEND-
ENCE ADOPTED JULY 22D.
Why Honest Men Should Repudiate Blaine
and support Cleveland, the Repre-
sentative of Administering keforIn.

sentative of Administrative Reform.
[The Independent Republican con-
ference assembled in New York Tues
day, July 22d, and issued the follow
ing address
The paramount issue of the Presi-
Dental election this year is moral rath-
er than political. 1t concerns nation
al honor and character and honesty of
administration rather than the general
politics of the government, upon
which the platforms of the party do
not essentially differ. No position
taken by one platform is seriously
traversed by the other, both evidently
contemplating general agreement Of
public opinion upon subjects which
have been long in controversy and
unwillingness to declare upon cardi-
nal questions views which in the pres
ent condition of opinion might serious
1y disturb the parties within themselves.
The parties indeed now cohere mainly
by habit and tradition, since the great
issues which have divided them have
been settled the most vital political &C
tivity has been the endeaYor of good
citizens in both parties to adjust them
to living issues and to make them an
effective agency of political progress
and reform. The Indispensable neces-
sity of this course has long been ap-
parent, for in time of profound peace
Mt home and abroad the most threat
ening national peril is an inciduous
political corruption, a mercenary and
demoralizing spirit and tendency, the
result of which 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 people
with the Offices created for their SER
vice and the true end for which it
should be used when gained is the pro
motion of selfish ambition and the
qualification of personal revenge" But
this doctrine naturally has produced
results which are alarming. a cor
rupt spirit and tendency have SO rap
idly developed that they seek political
power, rot only to crafty ambition and
revenge but to promote private gain.
They deride appeals to the public CON
science, defend the soiled regulations
of public men by the bold assertion
that all public men are equally guilty
declare that success in obtaining emf
nent position trees them of every i'm
putation and suspicion of wrong doing,
and despising all practical measures
to reform the system of official patron
age which fosters dishonest politics,
make great party nominally respon-
sible for prolonged and monstrous
fraud, and proclaim that it is the duty Of
every citizen who for great and bene-
ficent ends has habitualIy support
ed the party to regard the success of
the party at an election, without re-
gard to the character of those whom it
selects as its executive agents, to be a
supreme national necessity A ten
dency more fatal to the public welfare
cannot be conceived, and when by
public indifference or misunderstand-
ing this corrupt spirit is able to de
mand that the country shall approve
it by according to it the highest hon
or in its gift, every patriotic citizen
must perceive that no duty could be
more pressing, vital and imperative
than that of battling and defeating the
demand.
If the Republican convention had
presented candidate whose character
and career were pledges Of resolute
contest with the tendencies that we
have described; if they had forctold
stern dealing with political corruption
and vigorous correction of the vast
abuses which the long and undisturb-
ed term of power by any party is sure
to breed if the success Of their candi-
date had promised infexible honesty
of administrative publication, the pu-
riffcation of the government and ele-
vation of the party standard, every
Republican voter would have gladly
supported the nomination but these
are precisely the anticipations which
the nomination forbids. 1t offers
candidate who is an unfit leader, shown
by his own words and his acknowledge
ed acts, which are on official record, to
be unworthy ofrespect and confidence !;
who has traded upon his Official trust
for his Peeiniary gam; the represen-
tative of men, methods and conduct
which the public conscience condemns
and which illustrate the very evils
which honest men would reform. Such
a nomination does not promise in the
Executive chair integrity, calm, and
wise Judgment, a sole regard for the
public welfare and unshrinking deter
mination to promote reform in the
civil service, and teaselessly to pursue
and punish public robbers Of every
kind and degree.
The independent voters have gen
orally supported the Republican nom
ination as more surely promising re-
form than those of the Democratic
party. The Independents, however,
cannot support nomination which is
the elimination of the tendency 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 reform
ed. We are very proud of the record
and service of the Republican, party,
but not with our consent or connivanee
shall that record be disgraced Every
party must be consistently renewed by
the intelligent Independence of its
own members, or itNifl sink fronlsln
agency to secure good government in