The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-24

was even the risk of being called &
"crank." But we can only 60 so fal
with party. When a party over
steps the bounds of decency, it is oul
duty to leave it. When a party fails
to fulfil its mission, it will die. We
want an honorable and able man fol
president, and l believe Governor
Cleveland is such man.
Thos r. Bacon, of New Hampshire
said: The independent movement has
n grown to enormous strength. 1t had
twice defeated Blaines presidential
aspirations in the party, and hoped
now TO defeat them outside the party.
He had been told Blaine was not
nominated by any wire pulling, or
machine, and we fear that is true, and
II the republican party had reached a
point where 1t takes man of such a
damaged reputation as Blaine's, it is
time for somebody to bolt.
Col. Higginson of Cambridge, Mas
sacnusets, said he nel er had seen a
q more gratified assemblage. 1t re-
minded him of gatherings in the
times of the anti-slavery agita-
tion. That movement was sue
cessful and he believed this
would be. He said: 81 have severed
my allegiance, for the time being, to
, the party to which L have belonged
since its birth. 1 have burned my
, ships behind me. If, at the end of ten
years. find myself the humblest
, member of new party, shall accept
1t as Inevitable. l think boiling is a
good thing sometimes" The speaker
declared that the weakest part of the
party was Blaine.
The committee on resolutions were
not ready to report. Recess for an
hour was taken.
THE PLATFORM.
The paramount issue of the presi-
Dental election of this year is moral
rather than political. 1t concerns the
national honor and character and hon
esty of administration rather than
general policies of the government
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 contem-
plate general agreement
OF public opinion upon subjects which
have been long in controversy and in
dicate an unwillingneSs to declare,
| d,
views which, in the present condition
of opinion, might seriously disturb the
parties within themselves. The par
ties indeed, now cohere mainly by
habit and tradition, and since the
great issues which have denied 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 is
sues and to make them effective agen-
cies of political progress and reform.
The necessity of this course will be
long apparent, for, in time of profound
peace at home and abroad, the most
threatening national peril is insIdi-
GUS political corruption, mercenary
and demoralizing spirit and tendency
to result, which is well described by
Senator Hoar, OF Massachusetts,, as
"the shameless doctrine that the true
way by which power should be
people with offices created for their
service, and the true end for
which it should be used, when
gained, is the promotion of
selfish ambition and the gratifica-
tion of personal revenge" But this
decline naturally has produced re-
suits which are still more alarming. !
This corrupt spirit and tendency has
so rapidly developed that they seek
polite power, not only to crafty
ambition and revenge, but to promote
private gains. They made appeals to
the public conscience to defend the
soiled reputation of public men, by
bold assertions that all public men
are equally guilty, and declare that
success, in obtaining eminent posi-
tion, disposes Of every imputation
and suspicion of wrong doing,
reform the system of official patron
age, which fosters dishonest political
methods. This makes a great party
nominally responsible for the prolong-
ed and monstrous fraud, and proclaims I
that it is the duty of every citizen
who, for great and benefcient ends,
has habitually supported the party, to
regard the success OF party at election,
without regard to the character of
those whom it selects as its executive
agents, to be a supreme national nee
esslty' A tendency more fatal to the
public welfare cannot be conceived,
and when, by public indifference,
or misunderstanding, this corrupt
spirit is able to demand that the
country shall approve it by according
it the highest gift. Every patriotic
citizen must perceive that no duty
could be more pressing or vital and
imperative, than that of battling and
defeating the demand.
If the republican convention had
presented candidate whose character
and career were the pledge of a reso-
lutte contest with the tendencies that
we have described; if they had
foretold a stern dealing with po-
litical corruption, and vigorous
correction of the vast abuses which
long and undisturbed tenure of
power, by any party, is sure TO breed;
| if the success of the candidate had
promised inflexible honesty of admin
istration, publication of the govern
ment and elevation of the party STAN
dard, every republican voter would
have gladly supported the nomination.
But these are precisely the antlcipa-
tions which the nomination forblds.
1t offers candidate who is an unit
leader, shown by his own words and his
acknowledged acts, which are OF Off
cial record, to be unworthy of respect
| and confidence; who has drawn upon
his official trust for his pecuniary
gain; representative of men and
methods and conduct which public
conscience condemnS-which Illus
trates the very evil that honest men
would reform. Such nomination
does not promise, in the executive
chair, inflexible official integrity, cool
and wise judgment, safe regard for
the public welfare and an unshrinkiDg
determination to promote reform in
the civil service and ceaselessly TO
pursue and punish public robbers of |
every kind and degree.
The independent voters have gen
orally supported the republican nomi-
nations, 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 that |
they would correct. The republicans |
cannot hope that, under such leader
ship, as we have mentioned, the abus- |
es of the past can be corrected or the |
party reformed. We are very proud |
of the great record and services of the
republican party, but not with our
consent or connivance shall its record |
be disgraced. Every party must be
eminently renewed by the intelligent
independence of its own members. or
it will sink from an agency to secure