The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1884-08-08

40 " NtsN1AA,7 u u va AtAN AAN AftseAtN6A
party. which las been confidently pre-
dicted for at least four years by OBJ
servers not blinded by party feeling. is
now imminent. Indeed. the organiza-
ton is already in process of dissolution.
and it viii require but one defeat to fin
iSh the work, and very brief time TO
bury the debris.
The managers Of the party machine
knew in 1876 that without the offices
the party could not be held together for
another campaign, and that the expos
IRE sure 10 follow change of admins
tration would pile up q pyramid of in
fanny that would sink the machine out
of sight in the mire of oblivion. 1t was
desperation that invented the fraud of
1876 aud raised the money To bribe vot-
ers in 1880 But these expedients only
DELAYED the inevitable. A party can
not exist long without principles. The
cohesive power of public plumber is
great, but il can not pcrpetuate the rule
of raScality in a government OF the
people. The Republicans long since
ceased to have any principles, but il
takes time to wear away the prejudices
and habits of the majority of men and
things really are.
Time and the nomination of n noto-
rious political iObber have opened the
eyes of the more intelligent and honest
Republicans. aud taay now Ses,- thai the
party does not represent the issues. the
principles or the methods in which they
believe, and however much they may
regret the seyering of old ties and asso-
ff,,r- = lot lot ha-
for abandoning the degenerate organi-
zation and rescuing the Government
from the control of the spokesman.
The Democratic party has been out of
power so long that the vitality of its
principles is clearly demonstrated.
Nothing else could have held the organ
ization together ali these years. The
masses of Democrats have marched 10
certain defeat year after year, animated
by no hope of reward. no promise of
spoils. Had Democracy meant moth
| ing but control of the offices. the party
would have lost its identity and be-
come merged in some other orgauiZa-
ton after the defeat of 1860. when
radical disagreement on questions de-
handing immediate decision shattered
its power.
The Republican party in 1860 occu-
! pied position reseml ling in some re-
spects that in which the Democratic
party stands to-day. Ii was in sym
pathy with the popular sentiment OF the
day. and attracted the men who found
/ themSeive. compelled bv their cOnvic-
I tons to leave the ranks of the older
! parties. The boilers. the new men.
/ oined il TO adm mister the punishment
which they thought was deserved by
/ the men who had been in power for
many years. And they did the work
1 thoroughly.
Everything points 10 a repetit on in
1 1884 of the history of 1860, with the
parties reversed. But the situations
are parallel only in the particulars not
( ed. for it is very improbable that the
Republican party, a it now exists, can
| survive the shock of defeat. 1t will
| be dissolved into its original ele-
ments, which viii attach themselves to
either the Democratic party or some
| other organization representing the OPP
position on some issue concerning which
public opinion will be divided.
That the hour of final defeat for the
! 9. u. u. II Ut Uduu II tNiutDA- Al -
divided against itself to greater ex-
tent even than was threatened in 1876,
before the Hayes poultice was applied.
Hayes united the forces then, and kept
the Independents in line. but the party
was beaten at the polls by quarter of
a million majority. The Democratic
party has in 1884, as it had in 1876. a
reform Governor of New York as its
! candidate. and in other points is even
1 better equipped for the contest. Here
tofore the weight of press influence has
been thrown into the Republican side
of the scales, the Democrats having
but one paper of any consequence in
New York to aid them, and that one
sometimes being rather eccentric
rs an ally. Now the Republicans
can command the services of only
one paper of limited circulation and
dubious influence. The World has be-
come power in New York journalism.
l.and leads the Cleveland forces, and the
Democratic candidate is warmly sup
ported by the Herald and Times. In
Boston the conditions have similarly
changed, the Democrats being aided in
the battle for reform by all but two
papers. 1t is the same throughout the
country. The secular and religious
journals of largest circulation and
greatest influence are lighting on the
side of reform and honest administers
ton with the regenerated Democratic
party. The party no longer suffers FOL
lack of funds with which to pay the ex-
penses of speakers. circulate campaign
documents and employ canvassers.
The prospect of success has brought the
financial support necessary for The
proper conduct of campaign. Every
thing indicates the triumph of principle
over the corrupt elements OF politics. =
Boston Globe.
Blaine and Innan should at once