The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-05-29
PARTY SUCCESS.

that he has been left there ii
gloomy isolation. We had suppo
sed that the strict enforcement o1
the Civil Service rules would incul
the opposition of few Democrat
ic members of Congress; but sc
far as it appears the President has
easy sailing in that direction: The
great body of the people, of course
are not otiice-seekers, and if the
active politicians, who are wont to
depend more or less upon the in
fluence of patronage, are quiescent
we may be sure that the new order
will be allowed to obtain without a
fight.
1t would certainly be a most
painful humiliation if we were
compelled to confess that the great
Democratic party could only be
held together by a liberal distribu-
ton of spoils among its leaders
and their henchmen. The party
has been struggling for many years,
professedly, at least, in the inter-
est of reform, and, now that it is
at least in power, the world looks
for some substantial proof Of It's
sincerity. If the evidence is not
forthcoming, the friends of self
government, the believers in the
possibility of a prosperous and
pure democratic republic, will
have lost a fondly cherished illu-
sion. Those Independents and
liberal Republicans who have ho-
ped to find in a Democratic admin
lstratlon the source of a new and
better era in politics, and those
who have been lifelong Democrats
from principle, can in such a case
but regard the present with disgust
md the future with despair.
We are confident that Mr.. Cleve-
and understands the wisdom of
irmness in his position. He knows
hat he is not only doing his duty
Is a patriot by maintaining the
fidelity to his pledges, but
hat he is at the same time doing
he best that can be done for the
,ood name and continued success
# his party. If we were speaking
o him from the party point of |
'iew alone we would admonish him |
lever to forget that the time has
one by when a party slate could
re submitted for national plat
orm. 1t is a great mistake to
uppose that a sound organization
an be formed about a skeleton
lique or professional politicians.
hat seems tohave been the theory
or long time in our own State,
nd as consequence the party
ere has more than once been up
n the verge of disintcgration.
We remember that when, some
ears ago. it was proposed to re-
ucc considerably the emoluments|
f certain Offices in Louisiana, the
bjection was raised that the DOM
lant party could not afford to dis
cnse with its prizes. It was the
lannigan estimate of the ruison
stre of party fealty-"What are
e here for?''
We admit that the argument was
lyanccd by men who did not want
lc Offices; for the ofice-seeker
mself is not usually SO frank.
ut the gentlemen who talked in
lat way were under the impress
on that party success demanded
en- who would give their whole /:
me to party work, and that such
en- could not be secured without J
e promise OF lucrative positions ,,
ut when that sort of poIiticalphi- :
soplly is reduced to practice the ,
lrty soon falls into the hands of {
few selfish workers who cap
re the machinery of its organiza-
N and assume to deny the reg-f Q
arity oe.al nominations made in I
fiance of their authority. Thus |
Q party ceases to be popular, be- 9
mes q close corporation and in
rs public distrust. Nothing can I
&c the place of public spirit in I