St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-07-02
Chr Gatedoniam.
Abetting the Enemy.
Prom the june Century.

From the June Century.
One of the most stubborn and dis
cOuraging evils of current politics is
revealed in the notorious fact that the
Tascals in either party may count with
confidence upon the moral support OF
good share of the reputable men in
the other party. To this depth does
partisanship daily descend. The av-
erage party man regards party success
as so much more important than the
public welfare that he is quite willing
the state should snffer at the hands of
his opponents, if by this means a point
eau be made against them III the next
campaign. There are good men" in
each party ready to promote corrup-
ton aud chicanery in the other party
men who, IT any netaTIOus deed Is pro-
posed by the worst of their opponents,
do not shrink from quietly aiding and
abetting the iniquity. Ii the miscre-
ants cannot be openly assisted without
mourning responsibility for their own
party, they will at least refrain from
open opposition, hoping for the success
of evil schemes aud rejoicing at their
contamination. Is il too much to say
that the average partisan wishes the
state to be injured by every act of his
opponents, exults when they go wrong,
and i'll conceals his vexatiOn when any
thing is done by them for the benefit
of the cOuntryP
Such conduct we might expect from
those mercenaries who make politics a
trade, and it would not be strange If
each party contained large number
of ignorant and incOnsiderate persons
who would be governed by these petty
motives; but one is sometimes appall-
ed at the extent to which intelligent
citizens have fallen under the sway of
such perniciOus passions. The pros
pect of reform in politics grows dim
when we contemplate the tacit alliance
so widely established between the re-
spectacle men of each party and the
malefactOrs of the other.
1t too often occurs that wise and be-
Inefficient measures, proposed by one
party, are treated with captions and
sneering criticism, and even defeated,
by the other for purely partisan rea-
sons. In on" of the state legislatures,
"A few weeks ago, a measure was INTRO
duced looking toward the restriction
of intemperance by Il certain method.
The party in opposition held caucus
to determine its own action upon the
question. Several of the Legislators
expressed themselves as favOring the
method proposed they believed 1t to
be the best method of dealing with the
evil but they readily agreed to OPP
pose the measure before them, for the
avOwed reason that they would not
help the party in power to do good
thing for the state. That party might
gain some credit from the measure if it
were adopted and that party should
gain no credit for patriotic action If
they could help it. The measure, as
they believed, would benefit the state,
and the state was greatly suffering for
some kind of legislation but the state
might continue to suffer; it should
never be relieved by their opponents
no good should come to the state if
they could help it, unless it came
through their own party. This was
exactly the purpOrt of their reasoning.
InaSmuch as the measure required Il
three tifths vote, the minority were
able to defeat it. The action of this
caucus was reported III all the party
organs, and the heroic conduct of these
gentlemen who stood so firmly with
their party, and who so nobly resisted
the temptation to consider the welfare
of the state, did not fail tn receive its
proper need of praise. TO none of
these partisans did it appear that the
men in question had acted otherwise
than magnanimOusly not Il whisper
of dlsappTOVal came from the ranks OF
their own party. Yet these men had
violated the solemn obligation which
they assumed in entering upon the du
ties of their office they had delibeT-
ately done the state an injury in order
that benefit might accrue to their pO
litical organization. The fact that such
action should occur, and such cOnSld
eratlOns he openly urged at one of our
great political centres, without eXcit-
ing adverse comment, indicates in "A
somewhat striking manner the extent
to which partisanship has degraded
our politics.
Those partisans who rejoice over the
blunders and sins of their opponents,
and who deplore and obstruct their eff
forts to do well, have, of course, a rea !
son for their conduct. They think |
that their own party practically mo-
the virtue of the nation that |
the other party is composed almost |
wholly of rOgues and that, therefore,
patriotism is summed up in the sup
port of their party. The good of the
state is identified with the success of
their party; if by abetting the evil
doing of their opponents they can main
tain themselves i'll power, they will
most etfcctualiY promote the public
At the very best, then, these
people are encouraging evil that good
may come. and rejoicing in evil as a
nf r.
them in a class concerning whom we
have high authority for saying that
heir elimination is inst"
But is not the notion too childish to
De entertained by people of common
les which so equally divide the voters
IF this country contains all the integri-
" and purity of the nation Can in-
men of either party fail to see
hat there is great deal of genuine
patriotic purpose among their OppO-
rents And Is it not possible for peO-
Die of fair common sense To rid them
elves of partisan madness long enough
q see that the country is best served
" commenting aud supporting all
hat is good and opposing all that is
vii on both sides. 1t is for the inter
st ol the country bHdI DoiH pdIlIes
hould be incorrupt and trustworthy
e who wishes that only one party
hOuld possess any virtue is an enemy
{ his country.
He is equally an enemy of his party. !
iothing is 50 good for "a political party !
: an intelligent, sagacious, high prin- !
ipled opposition. When one party l
fits up its standards, the other party I
must hear and answer the challenge.
IN the other hand, the degradation of !
ither party is an encouragement to its I
antagonist To relax its moral energies. I